


Waves on the Shores of the Past

by Kirabaros



Series: Call of Duty Black Ops [1]
Category: Call of Duty (Video Games), Call of Duty Black Ops
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M, Family, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-08-09 17:45:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 90,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16454495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kirabaros/pseuds/Kirabaros
Summary: Victory is measured not by losses... It is measured by gains. So says Raul Menendez, the most wanted terrorist since Osama bin Ladin. David "Section" Mason is assigned Agent Simone Torres to unravel the game plan that Menendez has been cultivating since he lost his sister. The past collides with the present and the future as Section and Torres uncover the pieces and maybe Section can put a few ghosts to rest. Set within the Scars of Duty timeline.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Aside from the fact that I'm still alive, none of this surprises me. Technology got stronger, but we got weaker. We built computers, robots, whole unmanned armies, but no one ever asks: "What happens when the enemy steals the keys?" When the things they built to keep us safe are turned against us, that's when they figured it out: They'll always need men like us, those who are willing to do... what others cannot… - Sgt. Frank Woods
> 
> Victory is not measured by losses… It is measured by gains… - Raul Menendez

“I don’t know about this, Section.”

Lt. Commander David “Section” Mason looked up at his partner Harper and followed his line of sight. They fixated on the newest member of their team. He glanced at Harper and replied, “It’s Spectre’s call, Harper. Roll with it.”

“Come on, man. You really think the federal tax accountant is going to make all the difference?”

David gave a shrug of his shoulders. He was dubious about the girl himself. When he first met her, he was under the impression that she had never handled a weapon before in her life even though she carried. She wore a suit with three quarter sleeves and her blouse was utility blue. Her hair was straight and mousey and she wore glasses. It was the very definition of a nondescript girl. And yet he was stuck with her and all on Spectre’s say so.

_I’m assigning Special Agent Torres to your team, David. She’ll be my eyes and ears while I coordinate your resources._

David didn’t think that the girl would be able to keep up, but he really couldn’t say no to his longtime friend. Besides, Spectre was pretty good with her hunches and suppositions. She was the spook that was responsible for finding what they needed to bring down the terrorist Makarov and disproving the allegations of her task force. She was a legend within the intelligence community and seemed to have the ear of the most important people within governments. If she said that her girl would be helpful, he knew he should believe her.

Looking Harper, David replied, “Spectre says so.”

“Yeah about that. Spectre should be here since she was at The Vault.”

David couldn’t argue with that. When they got the call that Raul Menendez had been at The Vault, Spectre was there with them. It was there that he learned that his friend had spent time previously with the man that had raised him. She wasn’t surprised with some of the things he said, but then again Spectre was known for being cool while under pressure. The joke was that she had all her freaking out when she was on the chase for Makarov. Yet, he knew that Spectre was doing him a favor, so it made sense and it just happened to coincide with their hunt for Raul Menendez.

_The basics you gave me had me talk to Woods. This just happened to give a helping hand. Now it’s priority, but I still have my projects._

It was meant to be reassuring and an apology though David knew what he was getting into. He sought Spectre out and she laid down the rules. He went with it because she seemed to know how it would make him feel. He trusted her though, but some of her suggestions were a little out there. Having her agent on his team was one of them.

Special Agent Simone Torres was not from the agency. She was actually Secret Service. One of the reasons why Harper and probably his team thought that this was unusual. Clearing his throat, David replied, “Spectre is coordinating our resources.”

“But seriously? What is she going to do? She’s…”

“Proficient in cyber security analysis and skill set in forensic accounting analysis,” the subject of their conversation said.

David felt his skin flush and hoped that it wasn’t showing. If there was anything, Torres had the sneaking up and making you sweat thing going just like Spectre. Harper though was much smoother as he countered with, “So you know your computer shit. Can you dig it where we’re going?”

Torres looked at the pair of SEALs. She had put on utilities and tactical gear and still managed to look like she belonged behind a desk. She said in an almost girly tone, “I don’t know. I don’t think I would have my quals if I didn’t.” She looked at David and added, “Spectre wants to speak to you before we’re Oscar Mike.” She then turned and left to head back and start packing her gear.

Harper gave an appreciative whistle, “Girl’s got spunk.” He watched as Torres went back to check the weapons she was assigned and admired how she locked and loaded with precision and expertise. She didn’t look like it, but she certainly knew her way around a gun and tactical gear. So maybe he might be wrong.

David made a face as he left the area and headed to the comms room. He was just in the hall when he heard the ring of his phone. He knew who it was and put on his HUD visor and the ear piece. “This is Section.”

_No need to be formal, David._

“And you know that we agreed on call signs when on business.”

_Not on a private and secured line._

David sighed and asked, “What do you need, Spectre?”

_Just checking in. Special Agent Torres reported in that the op is a go and you will be Oscar Mike in five._

“I guess you meant what you said that she’s your eyes and ears.” David turned to lean against the wall. He watched other sailors go by and ignored them. “But seriously, do you really want Torres with us?”

_She’s fully qualified, David. I vetted her myself. Trust me._

“I do but…”

_Don’t always trust what you see. Old trick I learned the hard way._

David made a face. “Okay, you’ve made your point, Spectre. I still have doubts though.”

_Just do this op. One op and see how it goes._

“Somehow I get the feeling that you’re not going to pull Torres even if the op goes bad. Why bother?”

_Just trying to make it palpable. David, it will be okay. Torres will do her job and may provide a unique look to the situation._

“You could’ve said that you’re trying to expand your reach.”

_Who says that I haven’t? I do know the military._

David looked at nothing in particular and gave an almost dry chuckle. He shook his head at that. Of course, he knew Spectre knew the military. Her husband was SAS and she had a brother that served with the Marines and her best friend was Delta Force. “I guess I gotta trust you, Spectre.”

_Just as I trust you, David._

“Thanks. I’ll keep an open mind on Torres.”

_I think you’ll find things will work out. I’ll do what I can to make sure we have ready clearance on ops. Woods is right. Menendez will be attacking and soon. Money trails and good old-fashioned gut instinct says so._

“Copy that. Wilco.”

_Good luck, David._

“Thanks, Spectre. Next time we all hang out, could you tell Kip to take a day off?” He grinned as he referred to her now pretty much mandatory security when she made public appearances to heads of intelligence and other government officials. He had been recruited from her own task force and vetted by her husband and an old retired veteran who had a unique way of making grown men cry.

_You know that Kip only is on official detail. Talk to you later._

David grinned as the call hung up. He looked downward as he took off his glasses and tucked them into his uniform. He leaned against the wall of the hall and took in a deep breath. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to convince Spectre to pull Torres. Once Spectre set her mind to something, it was very hard to convince her to change her mind. You had to have compelling evidence and a real damn good argument. He didn’t regarding Torres. To pull someone because they didn’t look the part was rather petty. He would stick it out.

He headed back to their prep room and saw that Torres was finished packing up. She was just doing last minute checking on her gear. He didn’t have to say anything since she looked up and saw him. She said, “Hey, Section. Any orders from Spectre?”

David thought about how to answer that. Finally, he said, “Just that… I shouldn’t judge a book on its cover.”

Simone Torres looked up and noticed the look David had on his face. She knew that the team had doubts about her abilities since she didn’t exactly look like an agent from the agency or someone from a tactical squad. Even she had doubts when she had been tapped by Spectre a few years back and wondered why she wanted someone who never really went out into the field unless she was to examine banking systems for the Treasury.

When she first met David, she had been blown away by him. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but she couldn’t deny that he sent a thrill down her spine and had her want to be in the field. And she had never had any desire to do so in the past. Spectre probably caught on and that was why she started teaching her a few more things and sending her out with her task force. She accepted the assignment gracefully when Spectre assigned her to it.

David was looking a little uncomfortable. No doubt Spectre hit the nail on the head with that one. Torres replied, “Sound advice. Said the same thing to me when I questioned why she picked me out of all the other agents.”

“That’s Spectre for ya,” David replied as he leaned against the table Torres was working on. “Never could figure her out.”

“Hard to figure out a legend.”

“Wasn’t like that when I met her.” David shook his head in a good-humored fashion. “More inclined to think I was bullshitting her.”

“Well, some of her ideas end up sounding like that. Brass knows better than to completely disregard it and Spectre knows when to back down and come back with more proof.” Torres finished what she was doing and gave a pat to her gear. “Then again some ideas you just gotta take on blind faith.”

David looked at Torres. He almost wanted to roll his eyes at the fact that Spectre had him again. She called because he knew his habits and just paved the way. He made a slight sound and shook his head, “Damn it, Spectre.”

“What?” Torres looked at David with a questioning look.

“Nothing. Just forgot how she anticipates. Hated that when we had that op in Singapore.”

“The explosion?” At the look, Torres explained, “I researched all of Spectre’s ops. Had to learn about the task force and other teams she’s worked with. I like to know what I’m dealing with.” She shrugged her shoulders. She cleared her throat before checking their timetable. “We better get a move on it. Otherwise we’ll miss our window.”

David stared at Torres as she walked away. Maybe Spectre was right about this one after all. He cleared his throat and headed to debrief. Time to get this started.

****

_That’s how it started. Your old man tries to kill Menendez. Menendez wants payback…_

_… Now the politicians, they want you to think this is about ideology, but even the fucking Spectre spook knows better than that._

_It’s all horseshit. Nothing debatable about that._

_… It’s about rare earth metals. The whole fucking world runs on this shit._

_And China controls all of it…_

_… You better take him out real fucking quick. Bad shit’s gonna happen…_

David scoured the area below. He knew that when they inserted, things weren’t going to be easy. Spectre’s intel was spot on in that Raul Menendez had been on a hiring spree based in Myanmar. He marveled at the ability to get such intel and was grateful she was on their side.

“Well look at that. Menendez got a whole private fucking army hidden out there,” Harper was saying as he took a look.

David heaved a sigh as he took a closer look. “Cubans. Elite rank. State of the art tech.”

“Looks like Spectre was spot on again.”

“Always is,” David agreed. “Chasing leads where none exist.”

“Good motto,” Harper agreed. He had worked with Spectre before and while he had less patience than David, he respected the work their intelligence chief did. “So how many followers does Cordis Die have right now? What, a billion people?”

“Try two billion,” David replied, repeating the latest stats provided, courtesy of Torres. “And they’ll never believe their leader’s a terrorist. They think Menendez is their savior.”

David couldn’t get it how people could follow. Spectre tried explaining it to him how people could be convinced based upon their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. She told them how easy it was for her to convince an ultranationalist to be more accepting of Western ideals but suited to fit Russia’s ideals. She said that she played upon the feelings he had for her and pretty much started pitting father against son. It wasn’t overly hard to do. It was scary to think of and David teased her about manipulating him over to her side. She teased back saying, “Only because I have a good back kick.”

“Well, they’ve got a hell of a disappointment coming. That’s all I could say.” Harper could think and analyze but didn’t see the need to strain yourself to do it. He said it was the analysts’ job. They were the spearheads that took direction. Of course, being a SEAL meant you had to think on your feet during the situation. He wasn’t going to discount it at any point.

David finished his surveying of the camp. He tapped his visor to close out. “Time to go see what Menendez has got hidden down there.” He looked up where Harper had a perch. “You ready, Harper?”

“Wilco.”

David nodded and called, “Everything good where you are, Torres?”

_Copy that. I’m here with Salazar and Crosby. Awaiting your arrival, Section._

David looked at Harper, “Let’s do this.”

“Keep momentum on your swing. Don’t wanna be left hanging.”

David chuckled more to himself as he maneuvered to set himself up for Harper to swing down. It was not overly hard, but you still had to concentrate on where to put the nano gloves. Harper made it down and signaled, “Surface is a little uneven. Jam hard with the nano gloves.”

They made it down to meet with Salazar, Crosby and Torres. So far it went well until the first little thing happened. David knew that you could plan an op down to the last detail and you always had several back up plans just in case of worst case scenario, but you couldn’t always account for the little things that could happen. Spectre always said that a thousand things could go wrong but you could end up with the right outcome. It was just how well you thought on your feet.

They couldn’t predict the lightning strike that would down the tree that would fall on his and Harper’s line. They had to go with it. David tried to use his feet to brace himself and to keep from falling off the edge of the cliff. The tree was too heavy though and it was dragging him and could have dragged the team off the edge. Whipping his knife out, he cut the line just as he saw Torres do the same for Harper. He watched as the tree slide over the edge and drop out of sight. That was a close call for everyone.

“Thanks for the assist, Torres,” Harper said.

“Rule Nine: Always carry a knife. The where and how is up to you,” Torres replied as she flipped the knife she had pulled out and put it back on her belt.

“Man, that’s cold,” Harper muttered as he watched Torres. Louder he replied, “At least you had my six.”

“Please.”

Harper grinned and signaled that Torres liked him. David knew that was a far stretch. He looked at Torres as she walked by Salazar and said, “Thanks. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Torres said nothing but gave a slight nod. It was more than David thought he was going to get from her considering that she was well aware he doubted her ability to help on this mission. He had to admit that barely out of the gate and already she was impressing him. He could almost hear Spectre laughing at him. One of these days…

“Wide open. Little more than a skeleton crew. Walk in the park, baby.”

“No seas idiota. Do not underestimate Raul Menendez,” Salazar chided Harper. He gave a sharp look. “Spectre sure doesn’t. It’s why he sent his right hand.” He gestured at Torres who was surveying the drop and distance.

David ignored the deliberate use of ‘he’ to refer to his friend. It was a sign of respect from Salazar. It was a strange quirk but Spectre didn’t mind and accepted graciously. He looked at Torres who was not really a part of the conversation but was listening then back to Crosby as he was saying, “His followers sure did. And what does Cordis Die mean anyway?”

Harper was going to say something, but Torres answered, “It Latin for ‘Heart Day.’”

“Or some shit like that,” Harper added, not really caring what it meant or not. He was just there to do the job they were there to do.

“It’s meant to sound noble,” Torres countered in a sarcastic tone. “But it’s not.”

“It’s what Menendez wants his followers to believe,” David added with a look.

“Play on the weaknesses and beliefs of people and you can get them to believe what you want,” Torres added almost sadly. She shook her head as she stood ready.

David blinked. It shouldn’t have been a surprise to hear the same thing Spectre once told him, but it was and the look on Torres’ face. It looked like there was some history there. Maybe she knew people who bought into it. That would definitely be something to be sad over. Changing the subject, he gestured at Crosby, “Crosby, you’re up.”

Crosby put on the helmet and checked his glide suit. Everyone else did the same as Crosby took off. Harper couldn’t resist, “Ever done this before, Torres? Can be a little rough.” He grinned at her.

Torres put on her helmet saying, “The only thing you need to worry about is keeping up and making the drop, caput cibum.” She then took off with a graceful leap.

“Shit, man,” Harper commented, “She certainly knows her stuff. I could really go for her.” He clicked his teeth and looked like he would give a wolf whistle.

“She just called you a meat head,” Salazar countered with an annoyed look and a shake of his head.

David shook his head in annoyance as he followed. “Come on.”

It was a thrill to feel the drop and the seemingly suspension in the air. Just one of the many things that a SEAL nowadays did. David looked ahead through his visor to get a read on his team and the distance. He picked up Crosby and Torres ahead. Salazar and Harper were to the sides. It was a walk in the park on this leg and it allowed him to observe Torres.

She was definitely not the paper pusher that they all thought she was. Harper couldn’t resist flirting and David knew he was going to crash and burn with her. She wasn’t exactly subtle about it. He liked that she could keep up and it occurred to him that Spectre had made sure she qualified and was rated on the equipment that they would use in the field. That was his spook friend, always trying to stay a step ahead and anticipate what her teams would need in the field and what she needed to do to make it happen. He was starting to buy Torres as a member of the team.

_Deploying chute._

_Deploying chute._

_Deploying chute._

_Deploying chute._

David turned his attention to the fact that they were at the drop point. He really needed to keep his mind on the mission and not the fact that he had a team member that was turning out to impress him. He made his move, “Deploying chute.”

It was a good landing. Nobody was hurt as David removed his helmet. He replied to Harper’s query, “I’m good. Torres?”

“Locked and loaded,” Torres replied as she moved to join him and Harper.

David blinked a moment and realized that she wasn’t wearing her glasses. Then again there was no need for them on an op unless she needed them to read something. He paused a moment when she said, “I wear contacts when I can’t wear glasses. They are specially calibrated, so I can also see and receive phone calls among a few other things.”

That solved that problem. David nodded, once again stunned that she surprised him. He watched her follow Harper as he started the trek to the vantage point to observe. He got back to business, “Salazar. Crosby. You got the left side?”

_Covered. Ready on your go._

All things were set as David followed Harper and Torres. Time to investigate the base and see what they were up against. He got on his belly and crawled until he was alongside Harper and Torres and looked down below.


	2. Chapter 2

“We don’t want that bastard airborne!”

Torres looked at the bird that was preparing to take off. If it got in the air, they were in deep shit to take it down. More likely it would kill them first before that happened. She looked at the surrounding area to quickly observe, occasionally raising her weapon to return fire. It was then that she spotted it and had an idea.

She took a chance and ran forward as Salazar yelled that he would take out the bird. She gave cover fire as she headed towards her objective. And that was the weapons systems on the grounded drone.

Hacking into systems was not complicated once you were trained in it. Her area of expertise was in cyber security and forensic accounting analysis. She knew how to play with numbers and code. The FBI tried to headhunt her, but she chose the Treasury and the Secret Service. Part of it was the fact that she never believed that the cyber-attack was the fault of the US. The other part was that she felt she could do her part with what she knew and what she almost got in trouble for.

Her cyber security expertise was a result of the fact that she had spent time learning hacking skills. She knew how to read a computer system and read code. She wasn’t a programmer, but she knew enough how to determine what was going on and was ready to counterattack when necessary. This time, she was putting it to good use.

She had the system hacked and ready to go by the time David got there to do the job. She had just finished sequencing when he came up and she teased, “A little slow there, Section.”

She took in the surprised and almost stunned look that David gave her. He probably forgot that she was there as a part of the team or assumed that she hung back. She smirked as she keyed the turrets on the drone towards the enemy.

“Give these bastards a taste of their own medicine,” Harper was shouting.

The nice thing about night vision was that you could see what you were shooting at. Torres looked at her display as she took cover and aimed the gun at enemy forces. It was like playing a video game and it made sense since the military was all about simplifying things and ended up making these birds like one big video game. It was a debate for another time as she focused on clearing out the area, so they could move up.

_They’re falling back._

“Time to go.”

Torres deactivated the link when David tapped her shoulder. She picked up her weapon and checked to make sure she was locked and loaded. “Lead the way, Section,” she said as she aimed and took out a straggler.

They made their way through the compound that was comprised of ruins from a civilization long ago. David took point while Torres covered their six as they pushed forward. Gunfire was heard up ahead coming from what sounded like remote turrets. David checked his ammo and said, “Check your ammo, Torres. Things might get a little rough.”

“No more than listening to Harper try to flirt with me,” Torres countered as she did what was suggested.

David grinned at that as he pushed ahead. There were turrets ahead and he could see Harper, Crosby and Salazar taking cover while firing at the turrets. There were also a few stragglers that were firing at them as well. He gestured, “Torres, take out the stragglers. We’ll focus on the turrets.”

“Roger that,” Torres replied with a nod and moved to take cover.

She could see the stragglers. They were taking advantage of the fact that the others were occupied by the turrets. It wasn’t impossible for them to watch both, but it would make their lives easier if she could help and take out the humans firing at them. She took aim at the nearest one and fired.

He went down and it seemed to startle the others near him. They looked around for where the shot came from. She took the opportunity to take down another before moving to another position to fire from. If she kept moving, then they wouldn’t be able to see her and pin her down. And it would distract them long enough for the others to take out the turrets.

At one point she was able to move up just as the first set of turrets were taken out. The rest of the team followed. She took cover behind a stone structure and listened to the bullets whizzing by. She felt a body bump into hers and she found herself next to Harper.

“Bet ya didn’t think it’d be this exciting, doll face.”

“Only if you get shot in the ass,” she countered. She knew the man was flirting and he had been impressed so far. He was also trying to push her buttons to see how far he could go.

Harper barked out a laugh as he moved to return fire. “Well, you may get your chance.”

Torres rolled her eyes as she brought her weapon up and continued to return fire. She took her time despite the urgency of the situation. She had been taught that while you need to be quick, you also need to be deliberate when she was first learning to shoot. She had been all thumbs initially and people wondered if she was ever able going to be able to hold a gun much less shoot one.

She surprised them once she figured out how to hold it. She aimed and squeezed and looked wide-eyed at her instructor and asked if that was how you were supposed to do it. She didn’t know a thing about guns then, but she picked it up and then shot it and it was a kill shot. Since then she had booked time at the shooting range to better her skills. No one except her boss knew what a shot she was. Then came Spectre.

_Your attention to detail and deliberation are exactly what I need. Not to mention excellent beginnings for sniper training._

Torres wanted to draw the line, but like most people, she couldn’t say no to Spectre and her training officer on long range shooting would not let her quit. He was determined to make her into a decent sniper shot and he succeeded. Every challenge he threw her way, she met it and came up with suggestions for improvement. It was an odd thing for someone who was pretty much a genius with coding and numbers. It was no wonder people thought she didn’t look like an agent.

Aiming forward, she took out two more of Menendez’ men and turned. She spotted one that had a bead on David. She switched to her secondary and aimed down the scope. She timed her breaths and squeezed the trigger. The target went down before he knew what hit him. She saw David turn and noticed her target. She grinned at the expression on his face before he spotted her.

_Thanks, Torres._

“Just watching your six, Section,” she replied as she moved to take out another target that had been hidden in the foliage.

There were still a few turrets to take out and they were tough buggers. By then most of the initial men were down. Torres moved forward and assisted in taking them out. They were really good ones. David hadn’t been wrong when he mentioned the state-of-the-art technology. Then again Menendez had the money to spend and when you had the money, you got the best. The babble of Spanish broke her musings and she turned and fired.

The area was clear as was seen by the bodies and the damaged hardware. Torres lowered her weapon but held it ready as she scanned and moved up to their objective. She had noted that there wasn’t much topside. That left what was underground. She paused and tapped her earpiece, “Spectre 0-1 this is Spectre 2-1.”

_Copy that, Spectre 2-1._

“We’re at the base but nothing much topside. More likely the good stuff is underground.”

_Copy that. Objectives are clear from Kraken._

“Roger that.”

_Make sure you check everything. Menendez has been a step ahead of us for decades._

“Understood,” Torres replied as she approached the rock wall with the team. “Over and out.”

“Checking in with the boss?”

Torres glanced at David. “I have my boss and you have yours, but we are on the same team,” she replied.

“Right.”

“There’s gotta be more to this facility underground,” Harper was saying as he inspected the door.

David commed in, “Kraken, this is Section. Surface installation neutralized. Moving to investigate secondary structure.” He looked at Torres while Harper and Crosby set the charges. The fact that she was reporting to Spectre meant that they were being watched. It had him wondering if his friend suspected traitors.

“Blow it.”

The door gave way from the explosions. David checked the structure and went in first. Torres followed him, followed by the others. They stayed in formation as they checked their surroundings. There were some blind corners.

“Watch your step. The flood waters may have weakened the structure and the charges might not have helped,” Torres commented after she checked a wall that had water dripping in. It was confirmed when the ground shook a little and some debris crumbled. She tensed as she looked around and took a couple of breaths. This was not going to be good.

David noticed the look that passed through her features and watched her calm herself down. She seemed to be fine and didn’t want to call her out unless he had to. It was brushed aside as they pushed forward to a massive elevator door.

“Holy shit. Look at this. Hey!”

David watched as Torres slapped Harper’s hand away from the console and started inspecting it for herself. It was almost girly in how she slapped Harper’s hand, but it was obviously enough to sting since Harper was shaking his hand to ease the sting. He shook his head as he said, “Then what we saw up top was just a front.”

“Walls are several meters thick,” Torres said as she held her wrist up and used her analysis program.

“That means we’ll lose comms inside,” Salazar said. He looked at Torres as she finished scanning everything.

Torres knew it was probably humiliating for Harper to be slapped like he was, but she knew tech and computers and she needed to take a look. It’s what she was there for and she knew that every little bit of information that she could get for Spectre only helped make the picture bigger. She scanned the walls and the structure of the door and recorded it.

“Update, Briggs. Tell him we’re moving in,” David ordered as he checked his weapon.

Harper had been smarting from the slap but obeyed, “Kraken, this is Harper. Confirming sci-tech installation beneath the temple. Requesting immediate clean up and containment unit to our location. Be advised, we will lose comms as soon as we make our entry.”

_Kraken confirms. Ground team moving for immediate insertion. Stand by for ETA._

_Spectre-01 confirms. Additional assets moving in to secure._

David didn’t blink. More likely Spectre was in ops with Briggs. Both coordinating their resources and making the calls on what their teams were doing. How she did it, he wasn’t going to ask since she and Briggs seemed to get along. He signaled his team to move into the facility. More than likely they were going to run into more hostiles, so they had to be ready. He signaled Salazar. “Salazar get it open.”

****

“ASD online and set to target enemy troops.” Torres slapped the ASD lovingly and moved to bring up her weapon. She slid behind a couple of crates and brought up her weapon.

They had immediately been assaulted the moment they stepped into the facility. They had been lucky that they hadn’t been killed when an ASD came out and shot an explosive at them. She found herself being covered by David to avoid the shrapnel. He had pressed her to the ground while Harper swore at the fact that the enemy had an ASD.

Those little buggers were tough to take out. Torres knew that they needed to even the playing field. So, she decided to hack one of the little buggers. It took her running in the middle of a firefight with bullets flying to get to where she needed to go but she trusted the team to cover her ass. She made it and went to work.

The ASD responded and started going after Menendez’ men. It allowed her to find better cover as she called, “ASD online.”

_Roger that. And Torres, you do anything that fucking stupid…_

Torres rolled her eyes at that. She was going to get it later and probably from Spectre too, but she had been taught by her mentor that there were times where you had to take the opportunity if it was given to you. Intelligence officers thought on a different level than the operators and they were bound to clash one way or another.

There wasn’t much time to talk since they had to finish clearing the area. It was then that David took the opportunity to take her aside and demand, “What the hell was that?”

Torres looked at David and noted the angry look. “My job.”

“That’s not how we operate on this team.”

“I’m getting that loud and clear,” Torres countered with a bland expression. “But my objective is to assist. I saw an opportunity and I took it.” She stared at the man as if daring him to say otherwise. She knew that it would piss him off, but she wasn’t in the mood.

“You don’t risk your life like that especially if it could compromise the team,” David pointed out angrily. He tried to keep the volume down since he didn’t want the others to hear. In a low voice he said, “Just because you’re with Spectre doesn’t mean that you do whatever, whenever. Do you understand me?” He glared at her, locking his eyes onto hers as he leaned in real close, invading her space.

Torres was aware of the close proximity David was in. She could smell the heat and the sweat and the rain that had been pouring on them. It was very masculine and made her own body heat up. She didn’t give in, but she was well aware her demeanor was like when she first met Spectre and stumbling on her words. “I… I… I understand.”

David had watched the change and realized he may have scared her, but it was better that he did. This wasn’t a game and had him wondering what Spectre was thinking when she assigned Torres to his unit. He kept his demeanor as he stepped back and replied, “Good.”

Torres wanted to curse herself for not keeping her cool. She took a few moments to breathe while David joined the others. She swallowed a bit uncomfortably and rotated her shoulders. This was not going to be a good day. She followed silently, not looking at anyone but did her observations like she had been ordered to. She found a few things and commented at no one in particular as she recorded what she was seeing, “3D Fabrication tech. Weapons, components, armor…”

“Looks like Menendez is arming himself for war,” Harper commented as he came alongside her.

Torres didn’t look at the man. She didn’t look at anyone as David replied, “Well Woods told us how much wealth Menendez built over the years. He’s been investing in weapons tech.”

She moved forward, listening and surveying. It was then that she heard something and turned her head to listen. She heard it again and said, “Someone’s here.”

Everyone heard it and Harper led the way, disappointed that Torres didn’t give him a rejoinder. No doubt whatever David said to her, rattled her. It struck him as unusual since she hadn’t been bothered before. He pushed it aside as he signaled everyone to stack up. “Let’s see what we got in here.”

Torres stood at the ready, but she didn’t have her weapon raised. She watched as David went to the storage crate where the noise was coming from and opened it up. Out popped a man that looked absolutely terrified at seeing armed men pointing a gun at him. Once look told her that he wasn’t military, more likely civilian.

“Please! Don’t hurt me!”

“Ok, come on out,” Harper replied as he yanked the man out and to his feet. He pinned the man to the crate and pointed his weapon at him. “This lab is linked to a known terrorist. You start talking or I _will_ hurt you.”

“My name is Erik Breighner. I’m a…”

“Magnetometrist,” Torres supplied. She looked at everyone briefly before looking at the man in their custody. “Menendez brought him here to process Celerium, a new rare earth element that is said to render all existing microchip technologies obsolete.”

“Exactly. How…?” Erik looked at Torres and frowned.

“We’ve been watching Raul Menendez for a long time,” Torres offered by way of explanation. She wasn’t going to give more and made it clear by her body language.

“Right,” Erik countered, “In any case, it is not said, it _will_ render existing microchip technologies obsolete.” He paused when a rumble started. “They’re coming! Get me out of here alive! I’ll give you everything!”

“Torres,” David ordered, “Guard the package.”

Torres knew that it was punishment of a sorts for her earlier stunt and no doubt for the fact that she knew their objective before they did and didn’t say a thing. He was punishing her for what she had been ordered to do. She didn’t object but acknowledged it and stayed back to guard their HVP. It was a good thing too since Menendez’ men had broken in and were firing to kill.

The turrets had been activated and were providing a problem but at least the ASD she had programmed was still functional and helping to take out the tangos. She provided cover and protected the scientists while the others took out the remaining enemy tangos. She turned towards Erik and demanded, “Where’s the Celerium?”

“We’re clear!”

She looked at the scientist and shook him. “Where is it?”

“Uh, this way,” Erik stood up and gestured over. “The locking mechanism requires two operators.” He went to stand by a locking mechanism and gestured at the other one. “On your go,” he said.

Torres started to move forward but David brushed her aside and went to the terminal himself. He tapped into the retina scan with his wrist console and got the door to unlock. He looked at Torres who was standing there before turning towards the scientist that was running into the room.

“Follow me.”

Torres suppressed a sigh as she took up the rear. She turned to cover just in case someone decided to spring a surprise on them. She kept her post as David followed Erik to where he was accessing a console to open up a panel and reveal a device. She had her recording on, so she had the information for Spectre even if she didn’t hear everything. Luckily, she did.

“Quantum entanglement,” Erik was saying as he showed David the device. “This single device has more processing power than your entire military infrastructure.” He handed it over to the operator. “Rumors around the lab were that Menendez plans to use it as a basis for a massive cyber-attack. I heard talk of something called ‘Karma’… It may be the name for the cyber weapon.”

Torres was quiet as she listened to what Erik was saying. Celerium had only been talked about in theory but Spectre wasn’t one for theory. She had Torres learn everything there was to know about the possibility. And here it was, very real. If Menendez used it to initiate an attack, there was virtually nothing anyone could do to stop it. At least not right away. This was bad for everyone all around.

She missed the shot fired that killed Erik. She got them back for it by firing on them as she took cover. She would mull on her feelings later. Right now, she had to get her data back to Spectre and they would have to plan and coordinate with JSOC for the next move. This was what Spectre feared. She always said that Menendez was one step ahead of them. She shouted, “Tangos twelve o’clock!”

“Harper get a sitrep on the support team!” David shouted out his orders as he took cover. He made sure the Celerium device was secure before he moved further. He took up a position near Torres who was shooting with cool precision.

“Kraken, Harper requesting confirmation on extraction team’s ETA!”

“Defensive positions,” David shouted as he moved up, using the shield to set it down to create cover.

“Kraken come in!” Harper turned to try and better hear any response that would come through. Nothing happened. “Dammit. No response!”

“We’ll fight our way out. With or without support,” David decided. He glared over at Torres to make sure she knew that she wouldn’t go cowboy on them. He got nothing from her except that she moved to take a better vantage point. He ignored it for now and focused on the enemy ahead. It would require all their concentration to make it through. “This ain’t over yet!”

They cleared each area with calm deliberateness as they made their way to the entrance. The enemy knew the place better than they did and they couldn’t risk getting hit. David stayed near Torres who was very accurate. A short burst and the guy was down. Few were stray shots. It was impressive, but it didn’t help much in what happened.

“Section. Your team can stand down.”

They had made it. David signaled the others, “It’s Briggs. Stand down. It’s the extraction team.” He approached the Admiral and was surprised to see Spectre there with him. He kept it professional as he added, “Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes.”

“I guess we can call this mission accomplished” Briggs said as he approached David. He turned towards Spectre, “Though I’m guessing not for you Spectre.”

“Mission’s never done, Briggs. At least not with this guy,” Spectre replied as she stood beside the admiral with her hands folded behind her. She looked at David and added, “Good to see you, Section.”

“Same here, Spectre,” David returned the pleasantries. He took in the expression she was giving him and guessed that he was going to have a chat later. He removed the device and held it towards Briggs, “Whatever Menendez is planning, Celerium is key to it.”

Briggs took the device and looked at it, “Well, we finally got one over on this cocksucker.”

David was used to the language and used the moment to look at his friend. Spectre was not in the same vein as Briggs. He could tell that she was worried about something and it had to do with that device. He glanced over as Torres moved up and saw her and Spectre exchange a glance. There was more to it and Spectre wasn’t talking. He was definitely having a conversation later.


	3. Chapter 3

“So, how did the mission go?”

David glowered at his old friend and countered with, “You should know. Torres would have reported to you.”

“She did,” Spectre replied as she turned to look at David. “But I want to hear from you.” Her kind gaze was laced with the icy look that warned people to obey of they would be finding themselves on the business end of a rifle.

David recognized that look having been on the receiving end multiple times. He knew that Spectre wasn’t one to engage in a bull session. She wanted your point of view and she didn’t tolerate embellishments. You really couldn’t afford them in this line of work. Besides, he was a bit intimidated by the woman that still managed to look like a pixie fairy despite the years.

“David.”

David looked at Spectre. They were in private and she was taking that opportunity to use his name. Sighing he replied, “It went smoothly.”

“In obtaining your objective, but you know what I am looking for.” Spectre crossed her arms over her chest, giving the hint that David better come clean or he was going to get something worse than scrubbing the latrine. And she had the power to make that happen.

David made a face at her. “Fine. Torres is a great operator. She knows her stuff. But she is fucking reckless.” He scowled at Spectre, hating that she could get him to reveal everything. He vaguely recalled when he had been taken aside by her husband and some understanding came between them.

“Reckless, how?”

“I’m sure Torres told you it was some sort seeing an opportunity and taking it thing.”

“No.”

“No?”

“No,” Spectre repeated shaking her head slightly. “She admitted that she had been a little hasty in jumping out to hack into an ASD. She did say that she took a chance because her team was pinned down and was in danger of being overrun. She knew the risks.”

David huffed a bit. “Did she tell you that we were under heavy fire and she almost got hit?”

“She had a similar description in her report.”

David shook his head at that. He wanted to raise his limbs in exasperation, but he got the feeling he didn’t have much of a leg to stand on. He had to admit though that he didn’t expect Torres to agree with him; the part about her being reckless. He half expected her to say something that was a half-truth or something like it to Spectre.

“She also reported that if it weren’t for how you directed the team, it could have been worse. Especially given the fact they did have mini guns on the outside.”

David wanted to kick himself. Now he felt like a dick. He pursed his lips and stared at Spectre, trying to find something to say that didn’t make him sound like he had it in for her man. Finally, he said, “She was pretty decent with sniper cover.”

“Should be. Soap and I trained her in that ourselves.”

“Now I’m thinking dirty thoughts because of that.”

Spectre chuckled at that, knowing what David meant. She once told him how she had gotten to be good at being a sniper. She told him how her husband gave her ‘tips’ that to this day she used when she picked up a long-range sniper rifle. She took in David’s face and laughed before saying, “What Soap taught me was a thing between friends. There are ways to teach without going down that route.”

David scowled, “You are cruel, Spectre.”

Spectre chuckled at him. She put her hands on her hips. “What really has your dander up about Torres?”

David growled a little, “I told you. She’s really good but too reckless. Like she’s got something to prove or something.” He turned away a little like he wanted to pout. “She knows how to go on an op but it’s like she’s…”

“Too much like me,” Spectre offered with a wry smile. She waited until David was looking at her when she smiled and continued, “Maybe a little.”

David snorted at that. “She’s not like you. You’re… Spectre.”

Spectre barked a laugh at that one, “No. I’m just the agent they found behind a desk and I fell in with my husband’s unit. From there… well you know that story.”

“And you downplay a lot of it. Like the fact that it was you that cemented the 141’s reputation as a world class task force.”

“One of many.”

David rolled his eyes at that one. “Yeah I know. You sank your claws into my team.”

“Not my fault SECNAV and a few choice others wanted me on Menendez’ case.” Spectre held up her hands like she wasn’t at fault.

David gave a wry smile of his own at her. They both knew that they could go back and forth on this all day. It just helped to relieve tension. They always treated the fact that she knew people that were important as a bit of a joke and the fact she tried to downplay it constantly was funny since her field was intelligence. It wasn’t her fault that she did things that made her get noticed.

Spectre looked at David with a smile. She knew that he could be upset but he wasn’t pissed for long. She figured that he would have some issues with her agent, but it was minor. She hadn’t failed to notice a few things between her oldest friend and her protégé. It wasn’t readily apparent, but she saw it and probably a small part of her was in matchmaker mode. As if now was the right time.

David sighed as he looked at his friend. “I admit, Torres is good.”

“But reckless.”

David shook his head slightly as he replied, “I don’t know how it’s going to work out.”

“Doesn’t sound to be a problem.”

David made a face. “You are not going to consider pulling her.”

“Torres is the best out of all the agents I checked out.” Specter shook her head. “She may not look the role, but she has it where it counts. If you really want to know, she was top of her class training with the Secret Service. She had protection detail with President Boswell.”

David blinked. He then frowned in confusion, “I thought she was accounting forensics?”

“She is. She was pulled from that to the presidential detail. I’m not sure on the details.” Spectre gave a slight grin at the look she was getting from David. She sobered, “David, you know better than anyone that not everyone is what you see. Hell, you used to give me the same look when we first met.” She smiled gently.

David gave an apologetic look. He looked at his friend, “You made your point. I’m sorry if I scared her.” He paused at the look he was getting. “Could you…”

“You do it yourself.”

David would have said more but Spectre left the room. He scowled at that slightly and grumbled. He wasn’t mad at his friend. He knew what she was about. And she wasn’t the kind to let guys off easy. He had seen when she got in the face of one of the 141’s younger recruits. He thought the kid was going to cry and everyone else was trying not to laugh or make themselves small.

Spectre was right though. He had judged Torres and if he were being honest, she did exactly what he would have done if he had been in her position. He would have moved in to hack the ASD and use it. He would have done it recklessly too and no one would bat an eye at it. It was expected of a SEAL and specifically JSOC. They were counterterrorism and they did things that basically no one was ever going to find out. Patriot Act be damned.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like her. He worked with women who served. Anderson was a fucking great pilot, the best. He knew a few that could teach him a lesson or two in hand to hand. There was something about Torres that rubbed him the wrong way and it wasn’t necessarily bad. It was just… He shook his head and turned to be with his thoughts.

“You busy?”

David turned and saw Torres standing there. She was holding a pad in her hands. He stared at her, “Torres.”

Torres looked at him and raised her brow. She entered the room. She had opted for utilities since they were comfortable. No one seemed to mind and Spectre had made sure that she had gear to be able to function with the team and on the _Obama_. She stared at David as he looked at her much like her previous superior had. She adjusted her glasses and stepped forward, “I thought you’d want to see what I’ve been going through with the information we collected from the op. Possibilities of what to make of this ‘Karma’.”

David took the proffered pad and started sifting through the information. “And the Celerium?”

“Really advanced stuff. It is true that it can render existing technologies obsolete. Worse than the usual newest computer is already three years old. This will put everything in the stone age.” Torres schooled her features into a bland expression as she moved the windows to reveal her findings. “Spectre has this info and is working on the more traditional avenues of intelligence gathering regarding this. Apparently, we have scientists working on this too.”

“No surprise. It wouldn’t surprise me if Spectre has her own team working on this.” David shifted through the data. He paused and looked at Torres. He looked back down felling like a shy little boy and he wanted to curse Spectre. Finally, he said, “Torres… I’m sorry if I was hard on you.”

Torres looked at David. Her eyes widened slightly. She countered, “You had a right. It is your team and you are responsible for their safety no matter who is at fault. I am the one who is sorry. I understand that you don’t like or trust me, and I requested that Spectre pull me.”

“It’s not that and don’t do that.” David cleared his throat when Torres looked at him with a raise brow. He offered in an offhand manner, “When Spectre makes up her mind, you’re hard pressed to change it. It’s why the brass like her so much.”

“Figured that’s what happened when she gave her argument for removing me from my last assignment.” Torres nodded in agreement. “Still, I do apologize and since it is a guarantee that you are stuck with me, I will try to keep in mind you are team leader.”

“All I ask.”

“Okay.”

****

“Admiral on deck!”

The room was silent and came to attention as Admiral Briggs walked into the briefing room followed by Spectre. David glanced over at his friend who looked more like one of those top-notch lawyers that did the intimidating as she held a computer pad in her hands. She was wearing a suit and she looked like she would eat and chew up his men alive and spit them back out if they stepped out of line. It was a bit hysterical in that she was technically a civilian and Briggs was in charge. Yet the admiral knew better than to cross her as well. David always thought that it was because of her reputation. That was not it.

Looking around, he spotted Torres in her utilities. If he hadn’t known she was Secret Service, he would have thought her to be in the military. She had pulled her hair back into a regulation bun and stood with the other SEALs that would be sent out for this mission. It made sense since Spectre was once an undercover operative and it only made sense to train her new protégé. He caught Torres’ eye and gave a slight nod of acknowledgement but didn’t call her out. He turned his attention to the men who had been given the at ease call. He walked over to the viewing board and activated his wrist console.

“Thank you, Commander Mason,” Briggs allowed. He gestured at the screen, “Check out this beauty. Chairman Tian Zhao, leader of China’s military. The head of the SDC coalition’s armed forces. Cock…”

It was almost hilarious to watch the admiral stop in his tracks when he glanced over at Spectre. David blinked at the look his friend was giving the admiral and, in his mind, he thought the shit was going to hit the fan. He could tell the others in the room thought so too, but Torres was looking nonplussed at the situation.

Briggs recovered and continued with a milder form of cussing, “This asshole plays hardball, even with China’s government.” He paused when he heard Spectre’s rumble of approval and shook his head slightly. “They have as much control over him as we do. This cat walks alone.” He looked at David, “Chairman Zhao’s squeezing Russia’s balls real tight, Commander. Spectre.”

Spectre stepped forward and pulled up the global map. David could hear the uncomfortable shuffles of trying to be well behaved as well as a few hints of admiration. This was going to be good. He looked at his friend as she nodded, and he addressed the men, “If Russia caves in and joins SDC, they’d be the largest military force on the planet. Which is precisely what Menendez wants. Setting up the superpowers to wipe each other out.”

Spectre added, “Right now, Iran and India are under threat. SDC’s making their move and it’s time for JSOC to step up.”

“Why not just call in the 141?”

It was probably the dumbest thing to do and David resisted hitching his breath. That was always the question being asked. The 141 was famous in their world because of the events with Makarov and it was known that Spectre was instrumental in that success. David had been on the few missions with that unit and they led to this point with the information they collected on Menendez. He held his breath and waited to see what Spectre would do.

Spectre looked at the men, amused at the slight look of fear and awe as they anticipated what she would do next. She stared for about a minute and said, “Let’s just say that everything being done plays into a larger picture. The 141 is tracking down other leads.” The look she gave said that it wasn’t open for discussion and nodded at David.

David couldn’t help but sigh in relief as he tapped on his wrist console to bring up the latest transmissions. He was relieved that Spectre wasn’t going to chew up his men and spit them out alive and it would be a miracle that they would live. When Spectre got angry, you knew it and it wasn’t pretty. Here, she was keeping the focus on the mission at hand.

_Their initial strike caught us off guard and crippled our primary defenses. We held them off, but our regiment was decimated. We cannot withstand another attack._

“Was it SDC, Commander?” Briggs leaned forward

_We were hit by ground and air drones._

Spectre listened to the transmission and kept her expression neutral. When it was done, she turned her attention to her tablet and started relaying orders. There were things that needed to be done if this mission was going to be a success. Also, it would give Torres time to finish going through the data they collected as well as put her hacker skills to work on the Celerium.

David wasn’t paying attention as he laid down the mission parameters, “FOB Spectre…” There were a few snickers, but he pointedly ignored them and continued, “FOB Spectre is vital to securing India’s northern border. For rapid response, our only option is to HALO in.”

On the planning table, the model of the base was showing with the insertion plan. Everyone’s eyes were directed to it as he continued, “The enemy’s primary objective will be to smash the defense grid by targeting power generators and the satellite uplinks. If the grid goes down, there’s nothing to stop them penetrating the main control room. IF that happens, FOB Spectre is down and it’s open season on India.”

There was a subtle murmur as the men talked about the upcoming mission. David looked at them and said, “Pack it up.”

It was a somber mood as the men shuffled to get their gear together and head out. David watched them file out and glanced in the direction of Briggs. The man was getting ready for the upcoming mission. David and his men would be on the _Obama_ coordinating the resources. He looked at the table model of the base and leaned on it.

“Just another move on the chessboard, Section.”

David couldn’t help but smirk at that and shifted to look at his friend. “All a game to you, right Spectre?”

“Complicated machine.”

David chuckled as he straightened up and turned to look at his friend. She had once explained to him that she saw the world as a complex machine with intricate and moving parts. The attempt to take down the terrorists, in her view, needed to be struck at from all levels. After all the terrorists needed money too. She had simplified it to the point that they were chuckling over it, but he got the larger picture and he remembered what she went through to take down the man that kidnapped her for some time and almost succeeded in raping her. They didn’t talk about it much, but she would mention bits and pieces if it was relevant to the conversation at hand.

“And sometimes trying to stay a step or two ahead is like playing chess. Forgetting that almost cost me.”

“You mean Prague?” David shot a look at his friend.

“That and our fun in Singapore.” Spectre gave a pensive smile in David’s direction. “I think we’ve seen more than most operatives have in their entire careers and it’s only going to get longer with this. Somehow, I think this will go on longer than you and me.”

David frowned as he looked at his friend. She did have a tendency to make predictions like that. Most of the time it was done as a means of joking, but when she was serious people knew better than to blow it off. She hadn’t been wrong before and David figured it was one of those things she was talking about; seeing the world as a large system and seeing what could happen changing out one part for something else. He knew she was smart, genius level, considering he had read her file but this was something like being a savant or something. Way over his head but he respected her enough and even when she was wrong, it was made right somehow.

Looking at the layout of FOB Spectre, David mused a bit and asked, “So you aren’t bullshitting that if SDC takes over Spectre we’re screwed?”

“Not exactly screwed. More like making our job a little more difficult,” Spectre replied with a slight grin. “So, we just have to keep SDC out and we get one more advantage. More like an elaborate numbers game.”

“So you keep telling me,” David muttered. He wasn’t stupid. He knew the importance of intelligence. It told him where to go and what to look for. He just didn’t want the complicated details. That was Spectre’s area and she knew it. She knew it and loved to educate him on things and gave him a unique perspective into the decisions that had to be made. Sighing, he looked at the model and then got a sly grin on his face, “So you have a narcissistic side to you?”

Spectre eyed David with a raised brow, “What are you babbling about, Section?”

“FOB Spectre.”

Spectre snorted at that. “Hell no.”

They both chuckled for a moment since they both knew that the FOB was named because of the location and not because of her call sign. The call sign was used for her protection and that of her family. No one ever addressed her by name except for those closest to her and that was typically the 141 with the veteran members though a couple of them called her by a different call sign. It had been a round of laughs at David’s expense when he heard three different names being used for his friend. It cemented their friendship since he had been there when her call sign was that of a fictional character.

Spectre allowed herself another bark of laughter before saying, “Now that you’ve had your fun, time to go to work.” She turned to walk away.

“Where are you going?”

“Got a phone call to make.” Spectre grinned at David as she tapped her earpiece that served as a radio and phone. “Play nice with my agent.”

David scowled a bit at that as he watched his friend start speaking in one of the languages she knew how to speak in. He shook his head as she looked at the model and began running scenarios of setting up the CLAWS, the ASD, the turrets, drones and men. They were going to be dropping in reinforcements as needed but the FOB’s defenses needed to cover all possible angles. He leaned on the display to study them, thinking of other possibilities.

“I think Spectre has a man on base,” Torres said as she came to take a look.

“Wouldn’t surprise me. Spectre likes to be prepared. More likely she asked the engineer on site to fill her in.” He glanced at Torres, watching as she studied the display and inputted something on her data pad. “Spectre doesn’t take over unless it’s serious.”

“Kind of like Singapore.”

David rolled his eyes slightly at that. It always came back to Singapore. “Pretty much,” he allowed.

“Or like when she pulled me from my last detail.”

David blinked at that. He didn’t look at Torres but asked, “How’s that?”

“Let’s just say that she had words with my last boss and it wasn’t pretty… for him.” Torres glanced at David and gave a shrug. “Worked out in the end.” She then changed the subject, “If you have the turrets repositioned here and here, there will be a better spread of firepower to buy time if you need to relocate men or the equipment.”

David was taken aback by the change in the subject. It surprised him, but he managed to regain his focus and studied what she had pointed out. “Looks good.” He activated his comms and gave the order to reposition the turrets.

“Have the CLAW positioned near the main generator. ASDs are more maneuverable and can meet the enemy head on.”

David raised his brow at Torres and joked, “Did you spent time in tactical analysis or something?”

“Something like that. Grouchy old man drilled it into me,” Torres replied seriously as she finished what she was doing. A beeping on her pad had her look. She gave a few taps and swipes. “Huh, looks like SP has a man there and reports are looking good.”

David could have asked how she would have known that, but he knew Spectre well enough and decided against it. Instead, he just went with the flow and confirmed it. From the looks of things, everything was running smoothly in the setup, even with a time crunch on their hands. Even though things looked fine, he felt the familiar tightening in his gut that occurred every time he went on an op. It was tension and getting into the situation. It didn’t mean that things were going to go bad, just getting the feeling of anticipating that the worst could happen. The question was whether or not they would be ready to counter it.


	4. Chapter 4

_S666 incoming transmission from S001._

Sgt. Jackson Barrett rolled his eyes as he heard the transmission but didn’t take his eyes off what he was working on. He tapped his earpiece and groused, “I wish you would give me another designation.”

_And where’s the fun in that?_

Jackson growled low in his throat, not really meaning it but it was annoying that he had been stuck with a designation that spelled no end to the jokes and teasing, especially from the more religiously inclined. It had been done in a fit of humor and when he learned the reason, it was sort of funny, but it got old quick. Sighing, as he finished what he was doing, he replied, “I got the call from the Russian. I’m well aware of the situation with SDC. Commander’s in a snit.”

_No doubt._

Jackson sat back on his heels. “So why are you bothering, boss? It’s not like you need me to give you every detail.”

_Considering that your actual CO recommended you for my outfit, I find it that you seem to enjoy being bugged._

Jackson snorted at that. “Okay, boss. I know you sent me here because somebody told somebody that is another operative that SDC was heading our way and they were right. They coming around for another run?”

_Most definitely._

“Figures.”

_Plus, I also like that you’re like a sub commander I know. No time for bullshit._

“Well the Royal Navy had a good run too.” Jackson stood up and made sure that the system was well booted. He had been running around fixing things and getting the CLAWS, ASDs and turrets into working order for another assault. The nice thing was that JSOC was sending in some guys. “But it’s nice to have you Yanks coming in to help.”

_What can I say, we work well together._

“And I bet someone’s called you a cheeky bastard.”

_Indeed. I am serious though. I am concerned about the sitrep there. The Commander mentioned that another attack would be hard put on you._

Jackson opened up another panel and started checking what he needed, “Not me personally, but you are right in that if Spectre falls then the shite will be all over the rest of the world. Like a stack of dominoes.” He paused what he was doing to add, “And don’t you start with the whole everything is a system or some other bull that you’ve said.”

_You walk right into them, Jackson._

Jackson made a slight face and a sound that had the voice on the other end laughing. His mouth twitched into a sort of a smile. He went back to fixing what needed to be fixed. He reached in and found the charred wire and pulled it out with a finger. He studied it as he said, “Yeah I know. I’m your comic relief.”

_No. That is Ghost. Close second. Anyway, I wanted to check in on the status of FOB. JSOC is on the way to drop in ground troops as support._

“We’ll need it. The last one really gave us a knock.”

_It shouldn’t be too hard right? Keep them from accessing the main control room. A walk in the park._

Jackson knew better than to take that comment lightly. He knew that his boss was concerned. She knew that the FOB was vital. She knew much everything since her hand was in a lot of pots. You didn’t get to be the head of a special operations organization without knowing how to sidestep a few landmines. Or disabling and making them work for you. Yet, she was concerned about the troops on the deck. She would have had the casualty reports sent to her and she would have read them.

Jackson finished what he was doing and slammed the panel shut. That was the best they were going to get on short notice. “Definitely. As long as I can keep these pieces of junk working until the forces are reinforced.”

_Working on that. Meanwhile, JSOC teams are going to HALO in in order to meet the SDC head on. Section will be in command and go over targeting and defenses checks._

“Bolly.”

_Now I know you both just get along. Didn’t you save each other’s asses when we had that business in Singapore?_

“More like you saved our arses,” Jackson muttered, knowing that she could hear him. He turned to survey the base. The defenses were functioning. “Well, we’re as ready as we’re going to get. I’ll stick around before I move on.”

_And bring Armageddon._

“Right.”

_Thank you, Jackson. See you on the other side. Good luck._

Jackson gave a signal acknowledging the disconnect before heading to the main control room. He looked around, noting the troops that had survived the initial assault. They looked bedraggled, but they were ready to fight. The CO was looking every bit like his men. Yep, they were as ready as could be. He walked up to the CO and saluted, “Sir, everything is repaired and as functioning as I can get. Can’t guarantee that it will stand up through the whole thing, but they will give as good as they got.”

“That’s good Barrett. I’m sure Spectre now needs you.”

Jackson shifted on his feet before replying, “Actually, I’m sticking around sir. I’m faster at repairs and I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Could help slow SDC down. Spectre approves.”

The Commander looked at Jackson with a pointed look. He knew Jackson wasn’t his per se, but the man gave a hand in fixing things and now he was willing to stay and help defend the base. He wasn’t about to turn away help when it was offered. He nodded, “Alright, Barrett. Do what you got to do. It’s all any of us can do.”

“Copy that,” Jackson replied. He took his leave when he was given the signal and began a walkthrough of the base. He checked the defenses again during his walkthrough. Everything was working though there were a few things that he was concerned about.

Shifting, he turned to look at the sky and the surrounding foliage. This was going to be fun. And that was in sarcasm. Between the foliage, the humidity and SDC, ground troops would have their work cut out for them. Yet, this was the job and one he fully accepted when Spectre tapped him to join the Shadow Protocol program. He sighed and shook his head when he noticed the first of the JSOC troops HALO in. He walked over to greet them.

“Sgt. Jackson Barrett?” The leader of the first team in greeted Jackson with a questioning look. He looked a little out of his element but determined to get the job done.

“That’s me,” Jackson acknowledged. He grinned, “About time you Yanks got here. Repairs have been made and will hold up as best as they can. Better than most in these conditions.”

“Glad to hear of that.” The team leader held out a portable drive. “Spectre sends her regards.”

Jackson took the drive. “Thanks. The Commander is in the command center ready for debrief.” He gestured towards the place where the commander was. He waited until the team leader went before he put the drive into his wrist console. He viewed the message on his HUD that he had been provided before going over to where the team was waiting for orders.

Minutes later ground troops were ready to go, and Section was online. Jackson adjusted his radio earpiece, so he could hear the man. He walked out and stood looking around, surveying the base. It looked like he was doing nothing but in fact he was studying everything and looking for the surveillance drone that would relay positions to the _Obama_.

_All units, standby._

_Okay. I wanna run through a few systems checks and training maneuvers. Let’s make sure we got this down before we do it for real._

_I want a functions check on CLAWS. Standby._

Jackson grinned as he watched as the troops began to maneuver. He couldn’t help but beam in pride that the CLAWS were functioning pretty well. He wasn’t rated to service or repair a CLAW, but he knew wiring and could tell when something wasn’t right. It was part of the reason why Spectre tapped him. It was a known thing that she respected the tech guys.

The checks went well, and Jackson heard the call for the dummy drone in the AO. Jackson had gotten on the roof of one of the buildings to watch as the units converged and fired on the dummy drone. Everything looked good and it was confirmed. He waited until the training exercise was over and activated his comm, “The training exercise looked real enough.”

_Nice to hear from you too, Jackson. What are you doing at FOB Spectre?_

“You and I both know the answer to that one,” Jackson replied with a grin. He sobered immediately though and gave his report, “Spectre was hit hard, Section. I just managed to get defense systems online and to an adequate standing.”

_Then we’re just gonna have to dig in._

“Which is why I’m staying. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

_No doubt. Considering what we did in Singapore._

“More like Spectre save our arses on that one.” Jackson grinned. As much as he and Section ribbed each other, they had a bond as comrades in combat. “We’re riding the wire on this one, Section.”

_We need Spectre to stand otherwise its open season on India._

“Don’t need to tell me twice.”

_Watch your back, Jack. Catch ya on the flipside._

 “Waiting your orders.”

They shared a few more words, some of it joking before it was time to get to business. Jackson checked the specs on his guns, since like all operatives, he had his primary, a secondary and a sidearm. He also had a few other odds and ends, and he was skilled in hand to hand combat. He checked his comms and did a final system check on his wrist console.

_Once all elements are on the ground, move to establish defensive perimeter._

Jackson looked up to see the next group of JSOC HALO in. He signaled them as they landed, and they maneuvered to take defensive positions. He waited until Section gave the ETA of enemy troops to relay, “The Comms Sat, the transformer and cooling tower power the base shield doors. If two of these positions fall, the enemy will gain access to the central mainframe.”

The troops acknowledged as they joined the base’s own troops to establish the defensive perimeter. Jackson took up position near the Comms Sat. He would start there and then run across as necessary to fix what needed to be fixed. There were other tech experts on the ground, but they were few in numbers. Tactics had changed to rely on the big guns like the CLAWs, but SP operatives were trained to use all options and not all of them involved tech.

Checking his console, Jackson noted the countdown. They were seconds away from having enemy visitors. He swallowed slightly and picked up his gun.

_Enemy in the AO._

This was it. Jackson took a breath and waited for the first enemy troops to come in. Then he let them have it.

****

_Eagle down!_

Spectre watched the feeds that were coming in and listening to the comms. She pursed her lips as she watched as the sentry turret cam go down. It was near the Comms Sat. That left it open to attack and being compromised.

_Comms Sat under attack. Moving into position to establish perimeter and repair._

It was hard not to flinch at the tone of Jackson’s voice over the comms. He was good, but like all soldiers, he wasn’t invincible. The risk of being shot and death were high in the profession. He knew it and he still accepted her command. Even when he was first assigned, he accepted her command and followed willingly.

Spectre knew as well as the boots on the ground, that this job had a high risk of injury and death. She had spent time in the trenches with the operating teams and had been shot at herself and nearly died. Being persona non grata was tough and trying to finish the job of making the world a safer place. She nearly lost her husband and adoptive father to that. Hell, she had been the devil’s prisoner during that.

When she took over arm chairing the ops for the 141 and other teams, it became a hard thing to watch when she lost operators. She was sitting in relative safety and watching her teams get hit like they did when the shit hit the fan. It was also hard making those decisions that meant life and death. It was hard listening to the sounds in the background, because she knew exactly what it was like.

It was also what made her popular with the operating teams. She understood where they were coming from and often took their side when discussing strategy. She was once called the gentle reminder to the armchair generals about what the situation really was like. Of course, she was stuck in arguing their side too. The pros, or cons, of being involved in politics. At least President Boswell wasn’t difficult to work with.

Spectre knew that she was tasked with making the world safe. As a liaison between Britain and the United States, it put her in the position to interact with leaders who had different outlooks on the current situation with Menendez. Both sides agreed that he needed to be stopped. The way how differed and often had them split on views. It just had her marvel that nearly a decade ago they weren’t listening to her, but she still continued to reach out to her contacts and gather information. The events then until Singapore didn’t appear connected.

_Menendez is like Makarov, manipulating the populace into thinking he’s the good guy. Every move is calculated to be one step ahead._

The similarities ended at the fact that both were meticulous. There was something different about Menendez and it was related to her friend David, his father and the fact that even she might be connected. She hadn’t forgotten the threat that had been delivered when people finally started listening to her. They had barely made it out of Singapore and she received it. Not personally, but much like how Zakhaev sent her that warning.

Now she was in this as much as David. The problem was that she was a bit too high profile. She couldn’t maneuver easily like she used to. The curse of her talents. It was partially why she recruited a protégé. She pulled the best from all branches of service from around the world and with the help of her old AI Addy, she was able to compile a dossier listing of the top agents along with their specialties. In the end, she chose Simone Torres and for the same reasons that Addy suggested.

Glancing over to the corner, she noticed that Torres was sitting with a computer pad, looking at the information they collected from Myanmar. The Celerium was initially a theory, but as a person versed in computers, hardware and software, Spectre knew that dream was becoming a reality and probably already was. Since that was the case, the system was going to be thrown into flux and this whole campaign would be trouble shooting.

A hard lesson learned was to pick your resources and place them where they would do the most good even if they didn’t make much sense. David learned to trust that of her even though she would joke about methods of madness. In this case, she knew Torres would be the key with David. Torres was her eyes and ears and had autonomy to act as needed. The edge to help keep the system working and hopefully stave off disaster.

_Enemy targeting power transformer._

_Enemy transformer down._

_Enemy now has access to central mainframe._

“Fuck,” David whispered.

Spectre looked at her friend while looking for Briggs. She was well aware that professionalism had to be maintained. It was no secret that she was on good terms with various servicemen. The depth though had to be kept from getting out. She knew that it could spell trouble and it almost got her and her husband in trouble. It worked out in the end, but it drove her to keep things clear and it helped cement the reputation of being the kind of person that you didn’t mess with.

Turning back to the screen, she said, “Addy, status update.”

_Reinforcements have been deployed. Time to defend, three minutes._

“Copy that. Direct 666 to troubleshoot defenses.”

_SP666 already on site and tasked._

_Barrett here. Low on men. Multiple casualties. CO is wounded._

“Sergeant,” Spectre replied while looking at the screen, “How are troubleshooting on defenses?”

_Two are down and central mainframe is vulnerable. Rigging nonessentials to provide support. Infantry tasked to multiple points._

“Can you hold?”

_Aye, ma’am._

Spectre nodded, “Do what you have to do. You have full authorization to hold your position until reinforcements arrive. You know what will happen if FOB Spectre falls?”

_Roger. No more making fun of you ma’am. We’ll hold. Barrett, out._

“I don’t know how he’s gonna hold it, Spectre,” David said in a quiet tone.

“You have to trust Barrett like you do me, Section,” Spectre replied equally soft. “You know what his call sign is.”

“Don’t remind me. If it wasn’t for him…”

“Jacks will do what he has to do. Look.” Spectre pointed out the movements.

The troops that were able to move were moving into position as the final choppers of SDC were moving in. It seemed that it was going to be a final stand. She could only hope that whatever Jackson had in mind would work. She trusted his judgment though. Singapore had been proof enough and he was a rook on her task force, but he had been vetted by her and a few trusted people. And it looked like he was going to impress her again.

_Enemy choppers inbound._

_Spectre, I am tracking feed from SDC. It looks like a final assault. This looks to be the third and final wave._

“Copy that Addy. Do we have more boots on the ground?”

“ETA one minute,” David said as he tapped his console. He shook his head as he looked up and saw the numbers. “They’re not gonna make it.”

“They’ll make it.”

As if she had foresight, David noted that their numbers started reducing the wave down. There had been a couple of close calls where the enemy had almost destroyed the mainframe with an EMP detonation, but it had been taken care of before it became an issue. He saw their men converge in the control room to establish chokepoints. It was a last stand that often got told in stories.

What was worrisome was when a large explosion happened, and the screen turned white. They were blinded, and they couldn’t tell if there was anyone left or if the base had been taken. If it was the latter, then they would be in trouble. It would make it hard to establish defenses against SDC for future operations. It wouldn’t be impossible, but politically it could send them to shits.

“FOB Spectre, this is Spectre anyone copy. Over.”

David watched as the screens were trying to clear. It seemed to affect their camera feeds. He took Spectre’s lead and remained calm though he was concerned. He took a breath as Spectre repeated her query.

_Spectre, this is Barrett. We’re okay. Enemy forces moving to retreat. Base secure._

Spectre couldn’t help but give a small smile as David let out the breath that he was holding. She said, “That’s good SP666. Seems like you went out with a bang.”

_Looks like it ma’am. You know me._

“Support troops are inbound to assist with wounded. Welcome back.”

“Well done, Mason,” Briggs was saying.

Spectre turned but remained in the shadows. It was the same no matter what and she preferred it that way. They were David’s men and it was his op. She was just resource coordinator. She took the moment to slip away and just take a breather from it. Jackson would report in when he was ready to depart and on to the next mission. Addy had his orders. Right now, she just needed to take that breath of relief after the tension of being put in a position where there were lives in her hands.

She went to one place that was good at that. She found Torres there warming up when she arrived. She grinned and teased, “A little flustered there Torres. Too much for analysis.”

“Hard time listening to everything,” Torres replied as she finished warming up and moved to make room for Spectre. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Part of it is because I know what it’s like. The other… just have to do it.” Spectre moved into position and noticed that Torres took up her customary position. She began on the first set of moves and Torres followed. “Emotions can be bad in battle. True they drive us, but to surgically move in and get things done, focus is needed. Sometimes that clinical approach because it’s the only way to make those decisions. We may not like it at the time, but in the end… I am sure that it is the right one.”

“And that’s why you are always listened to,” Torres replied as she followed the movements. “I finished analyzing the information. At least what I can handle now. I may have something, but…”

“You need to sort through it in your mind,” Spectre finished with a grin. “My human computer,” she teased. “I knew there was a reason I tapped you.”

Torres snorted and they both laughed before they shifted focus and concentrated on the movements that they were doing. They spent a good twenty minutes just moving and focusing on position and breathing as they both mulled over their thoughts. More was coming their way and they needed to be ready for it in anyway that they knew how.


	5. Chapter 5

“Hey Torres, come and get in the ring. Let’s see what you got.”

Torres looked up from where she was performing stretches at Harper. She resisted rolling her eyes as he gestured her to climb into the boxing ring where Salazar and David joined him. She replied, “I don’t know. I don’t think it would be fair to you.”

Harper grinned, “Come on, sweetheart.” He climbed out of the ring and walked towards her. “We’ve seen you in a fire fight. What about showing off what that cute ass of yours can do.”

David winced at the flirty trash talk Harper was giving Torres. He knew it was Harper and he was treating Torres like one of the boys, but that didn’t mean that she liked it. She made it clear when she called him names. He gestured, “Harper,” but was held back by Salazar.

Harper ignored it and got close to Torres. “Come on, sweetie. Just a little go.”

Torres had been performing a sun salutation. Yoga stretches helped loosen and warm up her muscles. She had just come up when she decided to teach Harper a lesson. He never saw it coming when she swooped and grabbed his head in a head lock and squeezed and grunted, “Not really looking for that.”

Harper grunted. He was limited in grip since his hands were in gloves, but he did manage to get his hands on her body and maneuver to toss her onto the mat she had been warming up on. He took a couple of breaths and leaned over her saying, “Now those appear to be fighting words.”

They were when Torres grabbed Harper around one of his legs and pulled it out from under him. Harper landed with a dull thud on the mat and she rolled to a standing position. She panted and grinned, “More like fighting moves.”

“Damn,” Harper groaned as he got to his feet. He wasn’t ready for Torres coming at him with open palm punches and kicks. “Whoa there Torres. This is boxing.”

“I don’t do,” Torres delivered a kick, “boxing.”

Harper managed to avoid the kick aimed for the side of his head. He backed up and held up hands of surrender, “Hey, hey. Just want to have fun. Not a fight.”

“Funny,” Torres panted her replied, “I thought you wanted a fight.” She held up her hands, not making fists. “Come and get it, Harper.”

“Nah. In the ring.”

Torres snorted at that. “Chicken.”

It was on. Harper grinned, liking the spunk. “Oh, I’m not chicken, sweetheart.”

Torres stared at Harper and grinned. She nodded. “Alright. We’ll do it your way in the ring.” She walked over to get gloves that were better for sparring.

Harper laughed like the cat that got the canary as he waited and walked with Torres back to the ring. He glanced at David and noted the expression on his face. Harper couldn’t help but feel like he was now. It seemed that what his intentions were had to be working. He held the ropes, so Torres could climb in.

“You aim to break your hands, Torres?” Salazar gestured at her hands.

Torres finished wrapping her hands. “I’m not made of glass, Salazar. I may look like it, but they don’t let you be an agent if you can’t complete the physical requirements.” She held up her hands. “And I don’t do boxing.”

Salazar muttered something in Spanish and he turned to back into his starting space. Harper was laughing as he tapped his gloves together. “Alright, we’ll play fair. First Salazar, then me, then Torres against you Section.”

David resisted groaning out loud. He glowered at Harper as he tapped his gloves together. “Fine. Come on.” He gestured at Salazar.

It went pretty well at first. It as supposed to be sparring of a sort, but they were hitting hard like it was a fight. They weren’t weaklings and it wasn’t uncommon to have a few bruises from a workout like that. Torres stood in her corner as she watched David and Salazar have a go, observing technique, response time, all that stuff she used when analyzing data.

As SEALs they knew how to fight. They were trained in multiple takedown maneuvers. They were take down to kill pretty much. She had been trained to take down and alive. It made sense since she operated around civilians mostly and the playing field was different. She was learning though that there were advantages to having different styles in the mix. It was a matter of seeing it.

David delivered a hard cross and Salazar was down, and Harper moved in along with the trash talk, “So what took you so long?”

The punch to the face would have had Torres laughing. Actually, she smirked while Harper chuckled at the hit indicating that it was a good one. She watched as Harper circled and continued, “So the boss is back in town. Now go get that fuck Menendez.”

The uppercut came without warning and caught David on the chin. Torres winced at the impact. She didn’t doubt Harper could hit. It was just different because it was David, but he took it like he should and went back into the fight. She could tell he was a bit disoriented since he shook his head to clear it.

“He blames your Dad for killing his sister.”

The left to the chest and the right to the face had David bend over. Torres winced again. Harper kept at it, “He also blames Woods…” Another hard left followed by, “And now he’s coming for you.”

Torres watched as it seemed like something overcame David. He fought back and went at Harper like he really wanted to beat his ass to the ground. She was familiar with goading, but this was different as she watched David did a combo and Harper was on the mat, flat on his back. She was up next and was prepared to do it when she looked at David.

David hadn’t wanted to really do this three on one thing, but Harper goaded, and Torres accepted. She was ready for it when her turn came up, but he wasn’t. He was trying to process the fact that the hard hits he got triggered memories. Memories that he thought he had long forgotten. He looked at her and at the fact she wasn’t even wearing boxing gloves. He hesitated, and it cost him.

It felt like a slap but hurt like a punch when her hand struck the side of his head. It had him blink and look at her as she maneuvered her body and teased, “Don’t tell me you’re going soft, Section.”

David grunted and set himself and tracked her. “You slapped me.”

“Call it a love tap.” Torres grinned as she set herself. She knew that David would give his all if goaded into fighting. She moved and thrusted her palm out, catching him in the chest. The force was enough to push him back. “Come on, Section. Not afraid of a girl now?”

David knew he had to play along otherwise she would be pissed at going easy on her. He moved and began to throw punches. It surprised him when she blocked and countered. She wasn’t playing by boxing rules and he felt like he should have known it.

“I don’t box, Section. I fight. I fight like you do.” Torres used her body to bob and weave to dodge the blows David tried to deliver. She knew that she surprised him when she used a kick to block a punch. She wasn’t one for trash talk, but she sensed this would make a point. She made a move and ended up grabbing David by his wrist and moving to twist his arm behind him. “Menendez operates three steps ahead. What do you play?”

David twisted and managed to untwist his arm. He swung at her and clouted her good on the ribs. “I play just fine.”

“And it’s reaction,” Torres countered, relishing the blow. She shifted before her next set of attacks. “You need to anticipate. He’s been ahead for decades and we get caught with our pants down.” She went low and came up put two fists under David’s ribs, forcing him back and added a back kick.

David managed to anticipate the kick and grab it. He held onto her leg, making it so she was balancing on one leg. Torres eyed him with a narrow gaze as she held her position. He could easily drive his elbow into her knee and put her out of commission. He looked like he would, but he hesitated again, and she saw her chance.

It was risky, but she took it. She allowed her body to drop. The sudden weight change threw David off balance and she capitalized by pulling her foot out of his hands, pulling him forward. She rolled with her momentum and ended up in a crouch that allowed her to drive her shoulder into his stomach, winding him. She watched him double over and taunted, “I read your profile. You can’t take on Menendez. He may be coming for you, but you won’t take him down.”

It got the reaction she was looking for. David abandoned boxing and went hand to hand with her. They were pretty evenly matched though she had more grace and refinement in the moves. They ended up in a grapple and ended up wrestling on the mat. And neither cared that Salazar or Harper were watching.

Torres ended up pinning David first. He managed to slip it and pin herm straddling her body and managed to pin her hands above her head even with gloves on. They stared at each other panting almost angrily.

“Whoo. That was something Torres,” Harper said.

It broke the spell and David realized what position he was in. He backed off and stood up and offered a hand to Torres. He swallowed uncomfortably when it looked like she was going to reject his offer of help. She didn’t though and accepted the hand up. She was even grinning about it as she answered Harper, “I told you. I don’t do boxing.”

“I’ll say. You’re better at getting Section to act than me.”

“Three older brothers.” Torres grinned as she put her hands on her hips. She took deep breaths as she looked at the others. “Learned insults, the works. The mousy appearance just gives a bigger laugh.”

Harper grinned at that. “Now I know you’re okay, Torres.”

“I’m honored,” she offered with a slight hint of sarcasm that had even Salazar grinning at her. David didn’t really share much in that. He was quiet and looked uncomfortable with the whole thing.

Deciding to give him an out, Torres looked at them and said, “Well this has been fun, but I have some data I need to get back to. Thanks for the workout.”

David watched her leave but didn’t move. He shook his head like he was trying to clear it, but really it was a means of hiding what he was feeling at the moment. He managed to play it off and left to shower and mull on his thoughts. It didn’t help that he was shifting through memories about that night when his father died.

He found Torres in the briefing room looking refreshed while studying whatever it was on her computer pad. He sidled up and offered, “Little quiet in here.”

“Well I like it. Better than the place I normally would do this.”

David cleared his throat, feeling like an idiot as he took a seat beside her. He put his forearms on his knees and leaned forward. Finally, he said, “That was… pretty tense. The way you goaded me.”

Torres glanced up from her data and studied David. She replied, “Just wanted to make sure that you didn’t go easy on me. What Harper said seemed to work, so…” She shrugged, “Like I said. Three older brothers.”

“And I got my ass kicked.”

“Actually, you won.”

David hummed at that. He stared at the floor. “But you used your analyst thing and hit where it was going to hurt.”

“Nature of tactics in general.” Torres frowned as she noted David’s posture. She put her computer down in her lap and asked, “What’s wrong, Section? Did Harper do more than rattle your skull with that hit? Cause I don’t think I did. I’m a girl after all.”

It was enough to cause David to chuckle and he shook his head gently. “No. It did trigger something. I keep seeing flashes. Of the night my father died when I was a kid. Then you gave a couple of hard hits and…”

Torres blinked when David looked at her in the eye and apologized. “Then I’m sorry.”

“Not our fault. Just the past and… it’s connected to now.”

Torres nodded, “I saw the vid of Woods’ interview.”

“Torres, Woods gave us all the pieces. I know you weren’t there, but Spectre was.” David clasped his hands together as he looked at her. “We just gotta put the ‘em together. I need your help to do that.”

Torres looked at David. He was apologizing for doubting her and she sensed that he was bothered by events that happened, were happening and might happen. Spectre had put her on his team for a reason. It seemed that he was giving her one. She nodded, “Okay.”

****

“We never kill civilians. Not intentionally. You know that.” Woods sighed deeply as he fingered the unlit cigarette that he had taken out. He looked downward as the melancholy settled over his features.

“True,” Spectre replied gently. “It’s always our goal. Makes us better than the terrorists.”

“And I’m guessing you don’t have fucking regrets.”

Spectre twitched her lip in a smile. She was used to Woods’ swearing and his all-out rudeness at times. When she first sought him out, he called her a nosy bitch. He kept calling her that until she told him why she was there to see him. They had plenty of conversations throughout the months to years that she came to see him and often without David’s knowledge.

Looking at the old man she replied, “Plenty of them, Woods.” She folded her hands in her lap. “Regrets on not being able to take care of this sooner.”

“Bah you just didn’t think to come see my pretty ass before now.”

Spectre chuckled, “Pretty? You’re fucking ugly.”

“Do you talk to the brats with that mouth?” Woods grinned at her before laughing.

“Hell no.”

They laughed again together. This was how most of their talks went. It was like having a friend drop by and they hung out. When the discussions got serious, they took a serious turn. It didn’t matter because Spectre recorded them anyway. She just edited out their personal conversations for her reports. Originals she kept just because.

Woods was the first to catch his breath and asked, “How are the kids?”

Spectre smiled and pulled out the photo tablet she created. On it were pictures and videos of major events of her family. She pulled up the latest with her son, “Yuri is smart. He will be starting the equivalent of first grade back home in the fall.”

“Fucking Russians.”

“Named after his father and a good friend who saved me. And not all Russians are bad. One adopted me.” Spectre gave a gentle scolding look at the man. She knew that his behavior was influenced by what he had done in his life. She flipped the pictures forward. “Karen is very tomboy. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to scold her grandfather for teaching her things she shouldn’t be knowing.”

Woods chuckled at the little girl with a saucy disposition like her mother holding a baseball in one hand and being held by an old man with a cigar in his mouth. “No doubt she’s like you,” he countered.

“Oh plenty,” Spectre agreed as she moved it forward, “But she’s still daddy’s princess.” She smiled at the picture of her husband and daughter together.

“And my wingwoman,” Woods joked.

Spectre couldn’t help but laugh. On a couple of visits, she had brought her children to meet him and while he had been gruff, the loving man he had been for David was there. They took to Woods and always asked her if she had seen him when she went on her trips to the capital. “They always ask about Uncle Woods and Uncle David.”

“How is the kid?”

“Taking it one step at a time. I think he’s remembering a few things from that night,” Spectre answered almost clinically. “You still don’t want to tell him?”

“How could I? I mean,” Woods paused, “How can I tell him that something I did contributed to him not having his dad there for him?”

“The truth can set people free. Known fact. And it hurts.” Spectre nodded as she made each of her points. “David’s tougher than you think. Don’t forget he sought me out. All the way in Rio because of cam footage in Columbia. He recognized something that I only knew of as the way to do things because of my TO at the farm.”

“Right,” Woods grunted, “And you don’t believe it.”

“I believe David, Woods. I’m just more needing evidence before taking it to a jury kind of thing.” Spectre clicked her tongue on her upper teeth. “I saw that this could make or break David and the last thing I want to do is hurt a friend. I want to be sure on things. But of course, I was told that it was fantasy.”

“Well you know what to do with that.”

“True.” Spectre sighed as she thought about things that had been going on and what she wanted to say. “And sometimes things lead down a road that you may not like. I mean, you know that I found out that my father was with CIA. He left us when I was little. Mom died, and it was just me and Kyle. We ended up in the system and… now my father’s daughter…”

“Is the fucking best intelligence officer in two countries. She fucking saved the world,” Woods finished. “Turned out better than the old man.”

“Maybe,” Spectre allowed, “But it has me wondering about things connected to the past and present. Old wounds and current vendettas.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like Nicaragua when you first went after Menendez.”

Woods snorted at that, “I think I would have known if another fucking CIA agent was there. Only one there was fucking Hudson.” He lit his cigarette and took a long draft. “But Mason did seem a little off. He was there on the job one hundred percent. Fucking numbers made him a dangerous bastard.” He paused a moment and then offered, “You know, he never really said where he was when he was getting over that. You know the story.”

“I know that he had been indoctrinated and Reznov fucked with the Russian’s programming. Enough that Mason confused reality to thinking her was Reznov. I didn’t know that he disappeared.”

“He did go back to Alaska to be with the kid. And he was doing fucking great until fucking Hudson showed up.”

“And Mason fucking rescued you.”

Woods grumbled at that. He took in her bemused expression, knowing that she wasn’t put out by the swearing, but he had heard that the sailors on the ship she was stationed on knew better than to swear in front of her, even the admiral. “How the fuck do you manage to make a fucking admiral not swear in front of you?”

“Just being my obnoxious self.”

“Fucking pain in the ass.”

“Husband said the same line when I dropped in. Look what came from that.”

Woods laughed at that. He found it amusing that she pissed off her husband so much that it was a turn on and they ended up married cause of it. He sobered though, knowing what she was there for. He could pretend all he wanted that it was a social call, but he had to do this. Make it right and give the kid the tools they needed. He sighed and continued, “Mason was off, and he did disappear before the start of that. But throughout the whole thing, he had his shit together. He tried.”

Spectre nodded knowingly, “Josefina. Menendez’ sister. She died, didn’t she?”

“We never target civilians,” Woods stressed.

“What happened?”

“She was killed. By a grenade.”

Spectre knew that Menendez was motivated because of family. Zakahaev had been as well when his son had died. Even though that had been a suicide, the man blamed her and the men she was with for it. She understood to a degree. She pressed, “Who threw the grenade? Frank?”

Woods looked down. He had to hand it to Spectre that she knew how to press for what she wanted. All operatives were trained in interrogation. She had done multiple methods and came to the conclusion that torture was never the best way. She was on par with those terrorists who flip ordinary citizens and make them into suicide bombers. He replied, “As I told the kid, I had no idea that she was there. I… I just saw Menendez… and I lost my shit.”

“And you and I both know that people just don’t lose their shit. Not people like you.”

“I know. It goes back to Angola.”

“Can you tell me like you did David what he did to you?” Spectre leaned forward in her chair. She looked at the man in the eye. “Frank?”

“You really have a nerve using my fucking name, Spectre.” Woods growled for a moment but calmed down. He saw that she wasn’t put out by his outburst. “He wanted to know what your boys, CIA, had on him. Tortured my men in front of me thinking it would make me break. One by one I watched my team die and then he dumped us in a tin can and locked the door. Left me in there for weeks.”

It was one thing to read a report. It was another to actually listen to it. Spectre didn’t flinch but watched. She could feel her skin crawl as she imagined what it must have been like to Woods being surrounded by the dead decaying all around him. She had seen dead bodies before and knew the stench, but he couldn’t get away.

“So yeah I did lose my shit when I saw Menendez. Can you fucking say the same?” Woods was surprised that he didn’t yell at Spectre like he did David. He didn’t know why except for the fact that she wasn’t raising the temperature in the room by yelling in frustration. It was a reason why David asked her to help in this.

“Probably not since I pretty much gave up. I thought John and Price were dead and I had nothing left. So, I died and didn’t resist. Fucking pissed off Makarov though,” Spectre replied looking down. “Didn’t make a move until I saw Price alive when he and Yuri assaulted the hotel and rescued me.” She reached over and put her hand on top of Woods’ hand.

Woods sighed and looked at her hand and then her smile of reassurance. She told a lot about herself in previous conversations. It was a serious expression of trust for her to do that. “That I have trouble believing. Kid told me about Singapore.”

“Older and wiser now. Then…” Spectre nodded at that. She smiled as she patted Woods on the hand. “Now I can’t do as much.”

“And you got your ass wipe taking care of things.”

“Torres has surprised people with what I already know.”

“Playing matchmaker after what happened?”

“Not fucking going there, old man,” Spectre chuckled as Woods laughed out loud.


	6. Chapter 6

_Known only as DeFalco..._

The intel footage showed the target and various dealings he had been involved with. Torres studied the vids again even though she had seen them before. Part of her talent at the Treasury. Even after going over things, she still paid attention and often she would catch things that had been missed previously by her and others. Call it an inane sense of being thorough.

“We lost contact with a reconnaissance drone over Pakistan just last week,” Harper was commenting.

Torres nodded in acknowledgement, not caring if she was being watched or not as she made notes on her tablet. She only did when David spoke up, “Wait a minute, the scientist we captured at Myanmar told us that Menendez is using Celerium to develop a cyber weapon called Karma.”

Torres nodded and pointed out, “He thought it was called Karma.” She paused and looked at the others, “You think he’s using the cyber weapon to take out our drones?”

“Looks like it,” David replied as he paced in front of their briefing board. His arms were crossed over his chest as he thought this out.

“You know what?” Harper piped up, “This DeFalco guy could be fairly entertaining.”

Salazar snorted at that, “Fairly?”

Torres nodded and ignored the jabs that Harper made at David. It was more like being one of the boys until Harper said, “Come suffer with me.”

David had come to her, asking for her help and he divulged that he had been having flashes of memory. She realized it took a lot for him to admit to asking for help. She was willing to go through with it if only it meant that they could be friends. It would certainly make the job easier. Harper was already on board with it and liked to flirt with her though she suspected he did it on purpose to goad David. She wasn’t going to touch that at the moment.

Watching David, she saw him pause and give a quiet gasp. He then asked, “What did you just say? Come suffer… what?”

Torres took a step closer behind David as Harper turned back. She didn’t say anything since everyone seemed to ignore that she was there. If anything, David would probably talk to her later since Spectre was off doing her thing.

“These flashes I’m getting,” David puzzled through, “I know I was kidnapped the night my father died, but I could never…” He frowned, “Menendez… Did he kill my father?”

Torres felt her throat convulse. She realized where this was going. Before being assigned to David’s team, Spectre had her read everything they had on Menendez and then some. It included the dossiers on Sgt. Frank Woods, Alex Mason, CIA agent Hudson and a fourth man that Torres thought to be odd since it didn’t seem to have relevance to everything as of yet.

  1. _Mason died in Panama during the campaign to depose Noriega and capture False Prophet. Interviews with Sgt. Woods revealed that Noriega pointed out the hooded detainee was Menendez. CIA Hudson ordered Woods to take the shot…_



Torres chewed her lower lip at that. She was essentially holding the truth, but it wasn’t official intelligence. They were notes gathered by Spectre herself. At the time, she thought they hadn’t been made official yet. Not typed up, but thinking about it, Torres recalled how insistent that Spectre was that she look at everything and not just the official version.

_Sometimes what we think is the truth is more often not._

_What the hell did Spectre have on this?_ It was a thought that flooded Torres’ being. She wasn’t a CIA operative. She was a Treasury agent. Secret Services. She was even once on the presidential protection detail. She wasn’t the type to spy on people and she realized she was sounding very naïve in her head. All she knew was that this was a lot bigger than what she had led herself to believe.

Spectre, like Woods, gave her the pieces. She had to put them together. It puzzled Torres on that since Spectre was well known for gathering intelligence and deploying teams around the world to counter the threats to national and world security. The latter was always a mystery, but not too much since she was a liaison between British and US intelligence and had the cooperation of other agencies around the world.

_I am looking for someone who knows how to put together the larger picture. Analyze, contextualize and see beyond the piece given to them. I believe that person is you._

Torres looked up when David almost shouted, “What the hell is going on?”

Everyone else looked at a loss and what was there to say? Torres felt between a rock and a hard place. Her computer beeped, and she was glad for the distraction. She tapped the keys. Taking a breath, she managed to break the awkward silence that came on saying, “Looks like the decoding came through. DeFalco is in Pakistan. From the looks of things, a major deal is going down and ‘Odysseus’ will be there.”

“Menendez huh?” Harper commented after giving a glance at David.

“According to the analysis. Spectre has teams looking at all transmissions, everything. Well… lot of hands in a lot of pots thing.”

Harper shook his head, “Damn. Knew she was good. But that good?”

David looked at Torres and noted the expression on her face. No doubt she had seen his reaction to Harper’s words, but her reaction. It was something else. The only way he was going to find out was to ask her and he needed to do it without Salazar and Harper present. “Alright, gear up. Rain check, Harper.”

“Will do,” Harper replied good naturedly as he left with Salazar, leaving David and Torres alone in the room.

“I should prep too,” Torres added and started moving. She was surprised when David stopped her by grabbing her upper arm in a firm but gentle grip. She tugged, “Section.”

“You alright?” David didn’t release her but stared into her eyes. It was the first time he noticed them, and they were hazel green despite her dark hair.

Torres looked at David, compelled to stare back at him. “Everything is fine, Section.”

David was unconvinced, “Torres.”

Torres realized he wasn’t going to let her go unless she fought him off, which would be hard to explain to Briggs and Spectre, or tell him what she managed to put together in the few minutes she was standing there, watching him being shocked and trying to put together events that happened long ago and he more than likely suppressed them because of trauma and the repeated insistence from Woods.

David was well aware he was putting himself in a position that could come out bad. He was concerned though and he felt guilty for asking her for help with things that he was dealing with and what he and Spectre had been working on. It vaguely occurred to him that Spectre put her protégé in this position because she foresaw that things were going to get hot and she wouldn’t be in a position to help out as much as she liked.

It was farfetched, but it was totally like Spectre to do that. David knew that she couldn’t go in public without a security detail when meeting with people like the Joint Chiefs or NSA or whoever. Her movements were watched, and she still managed to get intel like she had done it herself. When they first started on this, it had been easier. She jumped right in and went on the missions. _Singapore_ was still mentioned in circles.

David also remembered how Spectre’s husband felt. At the time, David felt like it wasn’t fair. They had a young son and their daughter was just a baby. He could understand a little. Yet, Spectre and her husband had literally been through hell and back, came out on the other side and seemed to know how to make it work. He had to hand it to MacTavish for marrying a spy. Then again, he was grateful to have friends like the MacTavish family.

Torres looked at David. She wondered if this was one of those hard choices Spectre told her about when the woman used her own ops as examples. When that happened, it usually was because Torres questioned the wisdom of Spectre tapping her to be a right hand. She even once asked why she hadn’t picked someone like from her army buddies or another spy.

_It is easy to go with the obvious, Simone. Me… I’ve always chased leads where none existed. It’s how I always seem to come out on top. What is not so obvious could mean the difference between life and death._

It was hardly a life or death situation, but Torres could see how this could make or break the mission. The mission was to get Menendez. The thing was that it involved people she was working with and taking a trip down roads that could be painful. David would probably break despite the fact that he was a tough assed SEAL. She had seen him in action, but that was action. The emotional… that was different. And yet, he was there asking for it.

Taking a breath, Torres replied softly, “You might be right. In that Menendez might have been there when your father died.”

David released her after that confession and asked almost bluntly, “What makes you think so?”

Torres took a breath and hesitated slightly before taking the plunge, “When Spectre tapped me for this mission, she had me read everything we had on Menendez and few… other things.” She cleared her throat and looked away as she continued, “They were dossiers. On Woods. Mason. Hudson. Menendez. Even you, though I have yet to figure out why.”

“I think you touched on that by agreeing with me,” David replied brusquely. He didn’t like it, but it was better than risking getting emotional. He couldn’t afford that now.

“I think so too,” Torres let out with a slight laugh. “Because these dossiers were in Spectre’s own hand. Like personal research. She noted that on the night your father died, object target was False Prophet. Other information led to it possibly being Menendez. Mostly speculation.”

“And with regards to Spectre, not a good idea to dismiss.” David turned away to think. He found it odd that Spectre wouldn’t brief him an update on their personal ongoing project but instead give the notes to Torres.

“Tell me about it. I don’t still get why she would tell me to read up and then assign me to your team, but…” Torres shrugged as she looked at David’s back. “All I know is that I know software. If you read up on me you would know that I’ve done work at finding sabotage in the monetary banking systems when everyone else, good reputable persons, didn’t.”

“Chasing connections were there are none.” David smirked as he shook his head. He turned and looked at Torres, “Spectre put you with my team because you are like her. Same skill set, different application. That’s it.”

Torres wasn’t too sure about that. “Sounds too easy, Section. But I’ll go with it and in the end, maybe the pieces will fall into place. I mean I still think you may be right about your dad. And Spectre firmly believes in the credo of knowledge being power. The value is in earning it.”

David chuckled, “Tell me about it.” He looked at Torres and added, “Thanks, Torres. For letting me know.”

“Team, right?”

“Right.” David turned to leave. It was hard pressed to admit that he liked Torres and he had been upset in Myanmar because he didn’t want her hurt and for the nagging thought he continually had but refused to acknowledge. Yet, he couldn’t resist when he turned back and teased, “You know, you should have a call sign. Torres doesn’t seem you.”

“And Section isn’t?”

David laughed at that, “Maybe.”

Torres narrowed her eyes. She had been surprised when he teased her. It was a signaling that she was accepted by him, but she wasn’t one to let her guard down. She had been made to prove her self as a Secret Service agent times over. She decided to play his game, “Well if you can find one that won’t embarrass me, I’ll consider it. Until then, it’s Torres.”

David gave a mock salute, “Aye, aye ma’am,” and laughed when she punched him in the shoulder. “Alright, alright, Torres. I give, but you still need a name.”

“What’s wrong with it? I don’t see Harper or Salazar with a call sign.”

They walked through the corridor with David guiding the way. He said, “Because it sounds stupid if they have one.”

“Not a good reason.”

David shook his head and shrugged, “Don’t know. You’re different.”

“Not a bad thing.” Torres grinned to let him know that she wasn’t offended. As much as she liked the friendly barbs, it was making her feel awkward. She didn’t know his motivation for it and as much as she had an attraction to him, she didn’t want to let it get out of hand. She changed the subject, “So… ready to see the state of the Punjab?”

David contained his surprise at the change of subject, but it was probably for the best. As much as he wanted to get to know Torres, he couldn’t cross that boundary. They were on a mission and as far as he knew, she tolerated him and was polite, but it didn’t mean she liked him. She was probably like him, all about the mission. He went with it, “If you mean getting wet… no.”

“I thought the water was home to a SEAL.” Torres smirked as she teased him.

David looked at her and snorted. At least they were getting along better, and they moved past their tiff in Myanmar. He humored her as they continued walking.

****

“Definitely at home in the water.”

David couldn’t help but chuckle at Torres comment as they waded through the flooded city of Lahore. Truth be told, he was surprised that she knew that about SEALs until she told him that she once dated a guy that was shipping out to BUD/s. They kept in touch and remained friends. She jokingly said that she was the unofficial wife to all the single SEAL prospects since they told her their woes and she gave them encouragement. The revelation certainly had Harper teasing her and asking, “How come you didn’t show up when I was in BUD/s?”

Of course, Torres shot him down, “Too old.”

It was a low blow, but Harper took it in good humor, “This is why I like you, Torres. Always giving words of encouragement.”

“I try.”

Infiltration was going to be difficult since they had rogue ISI elements and the area was prime real estate for tipping the balance with regards to SDC. They had some good maps and diagrams, but every little bit helped. It certainly opened eyes when Torres tapped her ear piece and queried, “Online Hickam?”

_Copy that SP064B._

Torres rolled her eyes. She continued, “Do you have ISO watch on?”

_Copy that. ISO watch online. Synchronizing to your displays._

David was surprised to see a better version of the map of the city as he looked at his HUD display. “Looks good Torres,” he said.

Torres nodded, “Thanks Hickam. Standby for orders.”

_Monitoring progress. Good luck Agent Torres.”_

“Now he fucking says my name,” Torres muttered, shaking her head good naturedly. “Price I get for having access to an ASO AI.”

“Whoa, an AI?” Harper looked at her.

Torres nodded, “Unofficially, Hickam is an ASO aerial surveillance AI. His job is to provide as accurate map data as possible. The reason for unofficial is… because he technically doesn’t exist. Prototype tech. Courtesy of Spectre.”

David wasn’t going to question it. “Then we’ll use it. Good thinking Torres. Let’s go.”

No further argument was given. No one was going to complain at the fact that Section’s team had been hand picked and was taken care of by the best intelligence officer in the world. They had a pretty good map from what the aerial surveillance gave them and could make good time. It wasn’t perfect since they ran into ISI and things got hairy.

“ISI got us pinned down! C’mon! We need this thing up and running, today!”

David yelled at Harper, “I’m trying!”

The CLAW had malfunctioned, and it was a race to troubleshoot while under fire. David was trying to get it back up. Harper and Salazar were covering. Torres was also helping. Harper turned to get a sitrep. “The GCM must be stuck!”

Harper would have moved but another barrage of fire came, and he couldn’t leave his post. Torres heard Harper and took matters in her own hands. She ran up and delivered a well-placed kick, “Fucking hunk of junk,”

“That did it,” David muttered. “Alright, CLAW units are active! Weapon systems online!”

“Thought you were a tech geek, Torres,” Harper teased.

“I know software. Not hardware,” Torres replied as she took position behind the CLAW.

“There a difference.”

“Big fucking one.”

“Grenade!”

The explosion from the grenade diverted attention to the fight going on. The team took up position behind the CLAW named Maximus and let the machine do the heavy work. CLAWs were good in tactical support and could even things out when you were outnumbered. Right now, it and Brutus were gunning down the large groups ISI and evening the odds out.

Torres looked at the scene and commed, “Hickam, how’s our situation?”

_So far you haven’t been compromised._

Torres listened to the cultured accent of the AI and turned to study her surroundings. “Can you get a bead on target?”

_Checking signals. Affirmative. Target called DeFalco is on site._

“Keep me informed if he starts moving.”

_Copy that._

Torres lifted her gun and checked for any tangos that the CLAWs might have missed. She trailed behind the others, checking and covering their six. As they cleared out from where they were pinned down, she caught sight of something and shouted, “Get back, Section!”

It was a bus that was headed right towards where David was standing. He had turned to take out a tango that had slipped past and didn’t see the bus heading towards him. He barely got out of the way when he heard the warning. In addition to the ISI there were the dangers of the flooded city itself with debris. It certainly was going to make for an interesting mission.

“Anthem’s two klicks southeast of our position,” Harper checked.

_Copy that. Confirmed._

“I’m never gonna get used to that,” Harper muttered as he took up position.

David snorted and turned his attention to the status of the CLAWs. He saw Torres trying to help out and keep them from going out on them. She shouted, “CLAWs are bugging out in the deep water.”

Nodding, David turned and signaled to Salazar and Crosby, “Salazar, Crosby, get the CLAWs to higher ground. Regroup at Anthem.” He paused when he saw Torres go with them. “Torres!”

“Troubleshoot,” was all Torres offered before heading with Salazar and Crosby.

David watched as she came alongside Maximus and started doing a diagnostic on her wrist console. It made sense a little, but he didn’t quite like the idea of her being separated from him. It wasn’t that much different when they were making their way into the base at Myanmar, but it irked him. Still, he had to keep his eye on the mission. And she did have knowledge in software.

Harper had asked the right question on if there was a difference. To her, yes. To him, not really. Then again having some troubleshooting expertise was better than none. “Alright, Torres.”

_See you on the other side, Section._

David turned his attention towards Harper and covering him as they pushed forward towards Anthem. They had to use anything available to them since ISI was taking positions all along the streets. Some were up high. Others on street level and they were all firing on him and Harper and possibly at Salazar, Crosby and Torres.

  
“Watch yourself, Section!”

David pressed against the wall to take cover from incoming fire. “Salazar take Brutus and Maximus up top to provide cover fire while we push through the street.”

_Copy._

_Section, in position._

Using the CLAWs from their position allowed for David and Harper to push forward. They were pretty good at clearing the way and he and Harper moved up. It was hard trudging through the water and firing and the added occasional car floating down. He was surprised when a tango went down close by and he barely heard the sound of a sniper rifle.

_Close one, Section. Watch your back._

“Thanks, Torres.”

_Section, you’re moving out of line of sight of the CLAWs. You’re on your own._

“Roger that, Salazar. We’ll regroup at Anthem.”

_Take care, Section._

David felt his lip twitch as Torres signed off. She would be okay with Salazar and Crosby. Right now, he had to haul ass with Harper to Anthem.


	7. Chapter 7

The rain was pouring, and it felt silly to wipe her face, but it made her feel better. That initial firefight was something and it was a chance to put the skills that she had been trained in to work. It was pretty much the first time she was putting the sniper skills that she had been taught to use and they proved handy especially when she spotted ISI coming up on Harper and David. She took them out and couldn’t resist teasing them a little.

Once David and Harper moved out of line of sight, Salazar gave the order to pick up and move on to Anthem. Torres packed up her sniper rifle and brought up the assault rifle she would need. She stayed close to the CLAWs to make sure they were doing okay. They had gotten them out of the deep water, but sometimes shit happened.

She probably shouldn’t have been too worried since they were military bots and had been tested under harsh conditions. It was just her though going back to when she hacked and tested systems before being directed to Secret Service and the Treasury. She developed a complex that if it wasn’t checked by her then it was doomed to failure. Maybe an overconfidence in her skills, but she since then learned to let go.

If she wanted to be honest with herself, she was worried about David and Harper down there. She hadn’t failed to spot the aerial hunter drone. If it caught you in its sights and you were identified and enemy, you were done for. She wasn’t military but working with Spectre had her see this stuff and it bothered her greatly they people came up with machines that were more than effective at killing people. It was unsettling, but she had to grin and bear it.

Hoofing, she did her job of checking her side to make sure they weren’t in trouble. It bothered her that it was relatively quiet on their end. She had a bad feeling about it but she couldn’t pinpoint where.

“That was good shooting there, Torres.”

Torres looked to see Crosby grinning a little at her. She replied, “Not my best.”

“Looked good to me. They’re dead. Section and Harper aren’t. Good shoot,” the man replied.

Torres gave a wane smile at that. It was good in the sense that they were dead, and their guys weren’t. She just didn’t like killing people. It had people question why she was in a job where she may have to shoot people. Maybe it was crazy of her, but she did love her job. “Still terrible. I’ve done better,” she replied with a grin.

“As long as you get the job done,” Salazar pointed out. He gave a look at Crosby and watched the man move to cover their rear.

It left Torres in a position to be questioned by Salazar and he took the opportunity, “What are you really doing here, Torres?”

Torres let the rain pour down and wiped her bangs as she looked at the man. He had been quiet and unassuming when she first met him, and she didn’t give him much thought. Still, she listened and observed and thought him to be deliberate. No doubt his motives were looking after the team, which was why he was questioning her now. She replied, “I was assigned by Spectre.”

“That is what you keep telling us.”

“And it’s true. I’m not military but Spectre supplemented my training with other skills after tapping me in.” She looked at Salazar in the eye. “I’m not the enemy. I’m here to help take down Menendez. Preferably alive.”

“Why is that?”

“To prevent martyrdom.” Torres looked at Salazar before moving forward. She looked forward and studied the map on her HUD display. “Anthem’s just ahead. I can see a clear path for the CLAWs.” She gestured it out.

Salazar looked at Torres. He liked her, and she pulled her own weight. He was just suspicious about the timing. Before she came along, they had been working on getting Menendez without the extra help. He couldn’t help but suspect that there was some other reason and he wanted to find out before his CO got too involved. He had already seen how David looked at her and how they interacted.

“Looks good, Salazar,” Crosby confirmed.

Salazar couldn’t deny it, but it was a good path. “Move out.”

It was a bit awkward in silence as they moved into position. Salazar decided to break it by asking, “So how is it that no one knows about your AI?”

“Hickam is not my AI…”

_Correction, I am the supplementary tactical element to SP064B. Selected through an intensive process of background check and compatibility._

“Hickam,” Torres growled. Leave it to the AI to correct what SP issued. She looked at Salazar and explained, “Spectre has a protocol that examines all assets and it determines a compatible partner system based on multiple factors including skill set. It’s the same protocol used when assigning MWDs to their handlers.”

“And you were given an AI?”

It sounded crazy, but it wasn’t. It went back to Spectre’s time when she acquired an ADI, the first of its kind. Now the ADI was semi-retired, but the specs were available, and the program expanded upon. Torres shrugged at that, “Not my idea, but Spectre was trying something out. If it works, it could be used in military operations. I’m the fucking guinea pig.”

Torres wasn’t prone to swearing, but hanging around David, Harper and the rest of his SEAL team, the language she heard from her brothers filtered easily into her own and it cemented the ‘one of the boys’ thing going on. At least some of the team accepted her. Salazar seemed to be the only one suspicious, or he was overly cautious. Normally, she would give the benefit of the doubt, but even her job didn’t allow for that luxury over much.

Salazar looked at the woman who seemed exasperated with the questions. She gave the impression that she was there for the ride and didn’t have a clue as to the endgame that Spectre had going. It seemed that no one did. Some did seem to know more like David. Then again it was no secret that his team leader and Spectre were friends. Even then, David didn’t always know the deets to the plans that Spectre put them through. Maybe no one fully knew that except Spectre.

In the meantime, Torres was scouting the area to make sure that they weren’t running into problems on their way to the rendezvous. Salazar decided to not be so hard on Torres since she did prove herself at Myanmar. David may have chewed her out, but she did save them from being cut down by evening out the odds. So, he was inclined to go with that. He replied, “So you just field test Spectre’s ideas?”

“Not all of them,” Torres replied. She knew how much she was to give and gave it, “Mostly they are based on observation and she makes the idea and puts it into play with an ops team to see if it will work. Always a different team. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. I only saw two go into play when she tapped me.”

Salazar nodded at that, “Spectre knows what works.”

“More like calculates probability. That’s the current speculation.”

Torres knew that she was going to be asked questions about Spectre and she voiced that to the woman when she first got the news that she was going to be assigned to a JOSC team. Torres went into panic mode at that because the assumption would be that because she worked with Spectre, she would know things no one else would.

_They are going to ask about you._

_Then let them, Simone._

_What do I say?_

_The truth. Everything you experienced with me._

It had been uttered with a knowing look and looking back, Torres realized that Spectre anticipated and gave her the best advice. Because in truth, Torres only knew what she did and compared to the larger picture, it was a small piece. She added, “I may have worked with Spectre before coming here, but I don’t know everything. Just what I observed and what everyone seems to know. That Spectre reveals things that people don’t bother to look at. Chasing leads where none exist.”

“Common knowledge.”

Torres nodded before moving ahead. They were close to the trainyard and they needed to set up. She spotted a guard on the roof and pointed. “Guard. Rooftop.”

“Take em out, Torres.”

Torres switched to her sniper rifle and aimed down the sights. She had to place the shot just right in order to anticipate the fall of the body so that it wouldn’t alert anyone else. She slid into position and took aim down her scope. If she had been at her desk at the Treasury, no one would have believed that she was that good of a shot and a SAS officer made damn sure she could shoot. She took the shot and the guard was down. She called it, “Tango down. Still good. Not compromised.”

_Copy that. Torres, set yourself on overwatch. More likely things are going to go loco._

“Usually do,” she replied as she moved to set herself up.

Salazar heard that and smiled slightly. She had become part of the team and it was rather amusing to watch her put Harper into place. He gave orders to direct the CLAWs and Crosby into position. When that was done, he radioed, “Section, in position. Train yard. Lot of activity.”

_Monitor the area. Keep me updated._

“Copy.” Salazar turned and moved to take a position. “Torres, everything good?”

_Lot of activity. Could be trouble if the shit hits the fan. So far things are moving smoothly. Like they don’t care that their seeker drone was just on the warpath._

That meant that they were comfortable or not worried. That could spell trouble and it had Salazar on the alert. He studied the scene below.

_Picking something up on my audio, Salazar. Something about a SOC-T or something._

“You speak Arabic?”

_Pashto and couple of tribals in this area._

_Salazar, the ISI have taken delivery of some new SOC-Ts near your position._

Salazar blinked and replied, “Understood. Torres, can you pick up any more?”

_Working on it. Still maintaining overwatch. Out._

Salazar watched below and noted the movements of Torres. She had shifted to get better audio and to maintain her assignment. It had him wonder about her since she said that she had been pulled from behind a desk even though she had been on presidential detail.

_Salazar. Section. Confirmed. Menendez is here. Main courtyard with ISI leader._

_I’ll contact Briggs._

_Patching you through, Commander._

Salazar shook his head. It was weird hearing the AI come over the comms like it was nothing. It was vaguely irritating since the AI had a British accent despite the fact that Hickam was American and had an airfield named after him on the base in Hawaii.

_Don’t mind Hickam, Salazar. He’s only following his programming._

“Damn,” Crosby commented with a chuckle since he was also listening.

Salazar sighed as he positioned himself and waited for orders. This was going to be the longest mission ever. Or it was going to drive him crazy. He had yet to decide on which.

****

_Of course. Not only am I aware of the infiltration… I engineered it. And Spectre is still one step behind._

David didn’t have time to process what he had gathered. He saved the recordings of data, but the analyzation would have to come later. He winced when his surveillance was cut off and Harper said something about them being onto them. He was trying to clear his head when he heard the clink.

It was a fucking grenade.

As Torres teased him, the water was like home. Training to be a SEAL instilled that water was a second home. David was just as comfortable in the water as he was on land and, at the moment, it had been a lifesaver. First from the explosion and second from the gunfire as he and Harper were chased out from underneath the trainyard. It put some distance and now they had to hoof it to link up with Salazar and evac.

_Commander, picking up several tangos on your six, closing in._

_Section, they’re closing in on you!_

The contrast between the AI’s calm tones and the urgent ones of Salazar was enough to make a person’s head spin. David though focused on keeping up with Harper and pushing to meet with the others.

_CLAWs in position. Maximus on the roof. Brutus in the street._

David replied, “What about the vehicles for evac?”

_Secured. I’ve reprogrammed an enemy drone to support our extraction._

“Shit! Half of fuckin’ Pakistan’s outside the damn door!” Harper was stacked up on the door while the sound of bullets was flying.

David could hear it. They were grossly outnumbered, and he sensed that if Salazar hadn’t taken the initiative to reprogram an enemy drone, they were going to lose this one. He wasn’t going to give up though and was going to fight to the bitter end.

Signaling to Harper, David had him open the door while he signaled Brutus and Maximus to target enemy personnel and fire. With the miniguns on the CLAWs, they were able to cut the numbers down to manageable levels and it didn’t hurt that they took out a searcher drone. It looked like they were going to be able to get through this after all.

“Salazar! Where are you?”

_Thirty seconds out._

“It’s now or never man!”

They had to make a break for it now that there was some sort of a lull. David nodded and signaled Harper to get a move on it. Harper took point and David covered as they left the building they had been holed in. They were still taking fire and David didn’t see the ISI that had sneaked up on him and Harper until he heard the echo of a shot.

Turning he saw the body fall. The look on the guy’s face was almost comical. No doubt he didn’t expect that.

_Getting pretty bad at checking your corners, Section._

“I was saving that one for you,” David retorted. “Where are you Torres?”

_Making my way to extraction. Salazar is pulling up now._

Sure enough, the transport vehicles were pulling up and David could see Torres jumping down from where she had staked over watch and covering positions. It occurred to him that he may have had one of the CLAWs fire on her position, but she didn’t seem put out and she looked fine. He looked up and shouted, “Salazar!”

“Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes? Where have you been?” Harper said as he jumped into the vehicle. While he was asking Salazar, he was also directing it towards Torres when she jogged up and hopped in.

“Covering your ugly ass,” Torres replied as she jumped in the passenger seat next to David. “Ready to use an enemy drone?”

David snorted at that. It wasn’t the first time he had hacked enemy hardware. It was all part and parcel of the going to war gig. “Just as ling as you keep up covered, Torres.”

“I can shoot. Never said I could shoot well.”

David wanted to laugh. Little did Torres know that Spectre used to say the same thing to him and anyone who commented on her use of a gun especially her ability to be a sniper. It went hand in hand with the fact that Spectre was an analyst herself when she had been tapped and now she coordinated multiple counterterrorist teams and often to the befuddlement of the military brass and directors of intelligence. It could probably be called irony or a comical coincidence. In any case, it didn’t matter since they needed to get the hell out of Dodge.

_You’ve got the whole fucking SDC descending on your current position. You better hope they’re in a fucking good mood._

“Cheery,” Torres commented. She pointed at the map, “Look multiple routes through the town. The drones can clear the path. You just gotta burn rubber.”

David did a quick study of the map. There really was no choice. They were going to drive out of there guns blazing. Not the ideal way to extraction. They did have multiple points of exit. “Alright, this looks viable,” he said, pointing out the route and sending it to the other vehicle.

“Be ready for contingency, Section,” Torres warned as she locked and loaded her gun and rifle.

“Don’t need to tell me twice. Let’s get the fuck out of here.” David put the vehicle into gear and waited until the drone cleared the path. “Once we get moving, Torres, set the drone to target enemy personnel.”

“Funny how you just assume,” Torres teased. She tapped her earpiece, “Hickam. Are you in the system?”

_Copy that SP064B. I have control of the drone and will clear a path. Just follow the destruction._

“Copy that,” Torres replied with a wry grin. “Punch it, Section.”

David shook his head and took his cue. It seemed that after they ‘kissed and made up’ after Myanmar, Torres was much more comfortable voicing her opinion though it helped that he had been the first to make a move on that. He liked it and prayed that they would get through this mission. He punched it and accelerated, taking the path that the drone cleared.

_Sending route cleared._

_Faster man. Gotta make that evac point._

No fucking shit they had to make the point. The added obstacles were the debris left behind by a trigger-happy AI going destruction mode with a drone and abandoned vehicles and debris from the dilapidated town. It was a fucking walk in the park on this one. David didn’t say anything but adjusted his speed, knowing that it was pointless to say anything about Torres having a steady hand.

Torres was doing the best that she can. Luckily Hickam was ‘seeing’ everything in real time and could react accordingly. This was one of the specs that Spectre wanted to know about and it looked like she was going to get a favorable report. That was moot as she was concentrating on laying cover fire. Visibility was difficult in the pouring rain. Adding the speed and the fact that they were getting shot at in all directions… it was one of those nightmare mode training sims.

As she took out an RPG, she commented, “We’re going as fucking fast as we can, Harper. Keep the fuck up.”

_We’re clearing a path for you. Look for the smoke._

That helped a bit and Hickam took over with the drone. There were still a few enemy SOC-Ts coming at them and David accelerated to ram it. The combination of speed and power sent the vehicle tumbling over and launched theirs into the air. David held his breath as the vehicle slammed down onto the pavement and continued to roll.

_Go left! Onto the highway!_

“Hickam clear the highway!”

_Roger that._

_They’re right on us._

Torres swiveled in her seat and looked for a target. Taking her sniper rifle, she aimed. It was a difficult shot, but right now, they needed any and all options to make the extraction point. She fired and took out an enemy SOC-T tire. The deflated tire caused the vehicle to swerve and the driver overcompensated and crashed.

_Nice one, Torres._

They ploughed through buildings causing debris and shattered glass to fly. It just added to the challenge as David maneuvered their vehicle, trying to keep all four wheels on solid ground. He was grateful that Torres’ AI was covering them with the drone and was doing a pretty good job of it.

_Something tells me that ain’t a regular SOC-T._

_Keep going!_

_They’re all over us!_

They were almost there, and it seemed like SDC was catching up or ISI or whatever. They were in a hot seat and it was getting hotter. David was doing all he can to avoid explosions and gunfire that could take them out. He heard Torres say, “I’m out of sniper rounds.”

“Do what you can,” David shouted.

_Got a gunship bearing on us!_

_Shit! Drone’s headed right for the helo! Dammit! We lost the drone!_

They lost air support. That was fucking great. Still David could appreciate that they wouldn’t have gotten that far without the AI manning the controls. He knew not all was lost since Torres wasn’t worried about the drone being taken out. No doubt she would launch into something about software versus hardware or some shit like that later. He turned his focus on the road ahead and noticed a few things, “Collision’s started a chain reaction!”

“Evac point’s up ahead!” Torres pointed out.

“Hang on!”

David swerved to avoid the flames erupting from a gas line and pulled into the evac point. He turned to swerve to a stop. “There’s our evac point.”

They made their way there but came to a dead stop. David noticed that Torres tapped her earpiece and held her gun at the ready but not raised. It was like she was expecting them or was reading the situation. Either way, it looked like they were in deep shit with this one.

“Oh shit. Now what?”

“American forces should not be in Pakistan.”

David would have spoken, but Torres took the lead, “True, but we have no quarrel with China, General Zhao. Our interest is Raul Menendez.”

David watched as Zhao looked at Torres and nodded, “Then we have a common enemy, agent of Spectre. But know this. If you are here for Raul Menendez, I have no need to kill you.”

“True,” Torres replied, “But you and I both know that Spectre is everywhere.”

Zhao smirked as he looked at David and the other SEALs before looking back at Torres, “We’ll see.”


	8. Chapter 8

_We’re getting really close to Menendez, Torres. To get the upper hand, I’ve gotta get some answers from the horse’s mouth._

_You’re going to see Woods at the Vault._

_I’m not even going to ask how you know that._

_I told you. Spectre had me read up everything on you, your father, Woods… Menendez._

_Right… then you’re coming with when I go._

David had left it at that leaving no room for arguments. It had Torres blink at that and she didn’t even bother to follow. She didn’t expect that, and she wasn’t sure how to handle it. Certainly, he could do this on his own. She shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it Sombra,” Harper said as he put an arm around her shoulder. “Fact that Section asked you to come means that he trusts you.”

“He didn’t ask, Harper. More like ordered.” Torres frowned before she added, “And what the hell did you call me?”

Harper looked at Torres. He was surprised as she was that David practically ordered her to come with him. He figured it had to do with whatever he and Spectre had been working on and she had a lead but couldn’t get to it, so she sent in Torres to help. Farfetched but most likely. He was amused at her reaction to the nickname he came up for her. He replied, “Sombra. Means ‘shadow’.”

“I know what it means,” she spluttered almost angrily. “Why did you call me that?”

“You are like a little shadow. You tail Spectre when you have to be there, and you shadow us though you hold your own pretty well,” Harper explained in a matter of fact tone. “And I don’t know how to say ‘ghost’ in any other language.”

Torres couldn’t help but choke out a laugh at that admittance. “Like I called you in Latin. A meat head.”

“And proud of it, sweetheart,” Harper countered with a grin. He held out his hand, “So… we good?”

Torres took the proffered hand, “We’ve always been good, Harper. Why do you think I tolerate your shameless flirting?” She gave a mock punch on his shoulder.

“Whoa, better be careful there,” Harper teased as he bounced back, “Last thing I want is for you to knock me on my ass.”

“You seemed to like it.”

Harper laughed out loud as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a friendly grasp. “Don’t worry about it Sombra. More likely you’ll just confirm what he knows. Right now, let’s get a move on. Gotta take care of this Karma shit.”

“Don’t fuck with karma,” Torres teased, accepting the nickname Harper bestowed on her. “It can bite you in the ass in more ways that you think.”

Harper laughed causing her to laugh too. Even though this was serious business, a little humor was necessary. Sometimes it was crude, but it lightened the load a little and sometimes cleared the head to think better. He gestured for Torres to follow.

Sixty minutes later they were headed towards the floating city Colossus. Torres was a bit apprehensive since she was going to be separated from the team. David, Harper and Salazar were going in as inspectors. She was going in as another tourist. She didn’t like it, but Spectre pointed out that it was less conspicuous and reminded her of her training.

They weren’t even on the same flight together. Again, another less conspicuous thing. Torres suspected that Spectre was being careful after reading the report of meeting up with General Zhao. That had Briggs nearly pop a gasket since Spectre admitted calmly that sometimes one had to deal with the devil in order to set the trap for the bigger devil. Briggs swore up a storm but Spectre remained calm about it until Briggs admitted that it was a good plan.

David and the others had been surprised and almost wanted to give the stink eye about it when she took the lead. Yet, Spectre told her that she, like the other assets, were there to help stave off disasters, a back-channel employment. In the end, no hard feelings, but it did put them on edge. Something was going to give.

She arrived first before the team. She checked her comms once David said that the comms were on and said, “Copy that. On the island. And I feel fucking exposed.”

_Don’t worry about it Sombra. Do that shadow shit and no one will notice._

“Fuck you, Harper,” she whispered as she picked up her bag. She looked like a tourist, but the bag held things she would need if things went south. And she had no doubts that they would. It didn’t make her feel better since she was dressed in a dress, wearing a wide brimmed hat, sunglasses and the shoes… She could just stab the designer in the eye with them.

_You’re on Farid._

_Okay. The ID bands identify you as union inspectors. For you Torres…_

“I know. A fucking tourist.” Torres looked around, studying her surroundings, taking in everything while appearing to be like a tourist. “I don’t do undercover, you know. Blame this on Spectre.”

_She said you would say that which is why I put a few extras in your ID. As for you Section, you’ll have access to most areas… uh… except the one you actually want._

Torres rolled her eyes. That wasn’t going to help David and the others much. They were going to have to get creative. She tugged her bag towards the check in and held her wrist ID up and was waved in. She subvocaled, “What did you give me Farid?”

_Like I said. A few extras._

Torres nodded as she passed through the scanners. She made sure she was on her way before she gave background, “The Central Records Computer is subject to increased security. Access only permitted through retina.”

_That’s… where Ziggy comes in._

_In short, CRC is our best shot of locating Karma before DeFalco does._

Torres continued walking towards where the living units were. She glanced around and let her glasses pick up what she was seeing. She checked her surroundings before ducking into a maintenance closet. “Alright, I’m in. Switching out.”

_Keep the dress on Sombra. I’d pay to see that._

“And you won’t see much of anything after I gouge your eyes out, Harper.” Torres changed out of the travel dress and into a skirt and blazer set. It would allow for her to hide her weapon without revealing a bulge in the jacket.

_Make my skin tingle._

_Alright, focus. Torres sweep the area. Try to see if you can locate DeFalco and mark. Don’t engage._

“Copy that, Section,” Torres replied as she checked the clip to her handgun and locking and loading. “At least this is more like presidential detail.” She checked to make sure that the rifle hidden in her purse was secure before opening the door and checking before slipping out.

Colossus was a rich man’s city. It almost disgusted Torres at the opulence. Every luxury conceivable and only available to the ones that could avoid the hefty price tag. It was more of the rich showing off their wealth. She shook her head. No wonder the average man was pissed and siding with Menendez. It was no different when the former colonies like French Indochina were falling and new countries were forming. Democracy represented everything they were subject to under colonial rule. No wonder Communism sounded better.

Torres walked through the floating city, noting the available amenities. She saw a couple of nightclubs, a few obvious at what they offered. She snorted and shook her head as she continued to walk through. “So far nothing,” she subvocaled, “Too… rich.”

_It’s the richest city in the world._

_Which makes it a likely target for Raul Menendez._

They all knew that. Torres knew that, and it made sense. Only because it was representative of the opulence that Menendez condemned. Ironically, the man had once been the head of a cartel. From the accounts she had read, he had assets that would have put him within the higher circles. And the fact that he secured a private Cuban army… He was a hypocrite, plain and simple. And yet, the people celebrated him like he was a hero. It only served to remind her how easily people could be swayed if you played upon their emotions and passions.

She moved along like it was nothing and positioned herself to observe the security entrance David and his team would pass through. She commed, “In position. Observing security.”

_Copy that._

Torres sat down on a bench to look like she was resting her feet. She also had a tablet that had a novel on it, one that was a favorite of hers. She crossed her legs and positioned the tablet on her thighs and made sure her guns were in easy reach. She reached up like she was rubbing her ear and tapped her earpiece, “How goes it Hickam? You in?”

_Triangulating with your phone and in. Tapping into security._

“Search for any sign of DeFalco and his men. Use the facial recognition.”

_Copy that. Out._

Torres smiled and adjusted her seat as she turned a page. She looked up just enough when she heard the alarm go off at the detectors. She raised her brow but didn’t move much. Just enough to appear curious but then brushing it off.

_Dammit Egghead. Thought we were done for._

_Relax, Harper. I told you the shielding would work. The scanner couldn’t see a thing. Torres got through._

Torres snorted to herself on that. She trusted Farid on this. Well, she was relying on Spectre’s judgment for this one since she really hadn’t met Farid. All she knew was that he was a deep cover operative with Menendez’ network. Just working with them posed a risk. She grinned and added, “Just show your IDs and walk through. It’s not rocket science.”

_And I’m sure Egghead made it easy for you._

Torres chuckled when she noted the team heading onto the elevator. It was time to make her move. She got up and tucked her book under her arm. With poise, she entered the elevator with them, but ignored them. They would ignore her. She pretended to be bored when she heard Harper comment on how ‘incredible’ the place was.

To keep up the role as the team talked about the cost, she snorted, “Only the best is allowed. You’re lucky they allow you to perform maintenance.”

Torres didn’t have to look to tell that David was trying hard not to laugh. She had a role to keep and even though they were supposedly alone in the elevator, that didn’t mean that someone wasn’t watching. She was dressed like a guest and they were inspectors. Protocol regarding social status had to be followed.

She took a breath as David relayed, “Harper. Torres. Sweep the floor. Salazar and I will proceed to insertion point.”

Torres didn’t acknowledge but was walking out of the elevator with a haughty expression. She managed to avoid Harper colliding with her, but he did collide with a girl that ended up bumping into her. She pulled up a look of disgust as Harper couldn’t help himself. She knew he was going to flirt and watched as he said, “Whoa! How you doing, beautiful?

“Excuse you creep!”

Torres took that as her cue and added, “Don’t mind him. He’s the hired help and they are a crude lot.”

It was enough to have the girl smile at her and Torres smiled back. It allowed her to get a good look and she smiled. Time to gain some rapport as she shot a look at Harper that could be considered a dirty look. He would get over it and it was part of the cover. Right now, she had a girl in front of her and one that may be what she was on the lookout for.

****

_Harper heads up. The mercs are priming explosives on board._

Torres didn’t bat an eye as she heard the update. That was going to complicate things. She smiled at the girl that sat across from her at the club. “Nothing puts on a good mood better than a drink,” she said.

“That’s right.” The girl looked at Torres and smiled, “So, where have you been all my life?”

Torres laughed a little. She realized that she was being hit on by a woman. It was not the first time that happened. When she had been stationed in DC, she had a couple of propositions from women who were checking her out. It caused her to laugh afterwards once she politely informed the woman that she was not gay.

Looking at the woman she met at the elevator, she took a sip of the drink that she ordered, which was water. She replied, “Oh traveling and trying to avoid or put down the troglodytes that think they can be cute with an apology.”

“Now that is badass.”

Torres lifted her drink and took a sip. She smiled and let mindless chatter fill the conversation as she listened to the comms for anything that was going on with the mission. She checked to make sure her bag was nearby. A reasonable action since it looked like she carried valuables. There were still some things that she liked carrying, like cash. It came handy for things that she didn’t want a paper trail to.

_Harper, you were right. They’re already inside the server room!_

_Great,_ Torres thought. She silently prayed that David and Salazar would make it.

“Here for business or pleasure?”

Torres turned her attention back to the girl. She replied with a smile, “A little bit of both.”

They chatted some more, and Torres thought she was going to get a headache from the techno music. The pulsing and vibrations as well at the lighting were not good on the contact lenses she was wearing. While most people didn’t have a problem, it felt like she could feel the equipment jiggle in her eyes and it just agitated them. She had put herself through paces when she got them to get used to them, but this looked like it was going to be the longest she was going to be. More likely she would have a migraine when this was done.

The woman sitting with her turned and Torres happened to look at the back of her neck. She noticed what appeared to be body art, a tattoo. She stared, hoping that the girl would keep looking in that direction to get a good look at it. She had to play it off though and pointed out, “That looks like some interesting body art.”

The woman turned and raised her brow. Torres subtly gestured at the back of her neck. The girl nodded in understanding and replied, “Just something that became a bit of a nickname.”

“Really?”

_Karma isn’t a weapon. It’s a woman._

_And I think I’m staring right at her._ Torres nodded appreciatively at the tattoo. She commented, “Looks nice.” She shrugged off the left shoulder of her jacket to reveal the tattoo that she had gotten on a dare and had been suggested by a friend. “Mine is more along my Chinese animal.”

_Chloe Lynch. Former employee of TACITUS. Recently resigned._

“Now that looks cool,” the girl now called Chloe, or whom Torres thought she was, said. “What does it mean?”

“I was born the year of the dragon, but my friend who had family ties to China, schooled me in the elements and determined I was a fire dragon,” Torres explained. She shrugged, “Because I’m a self-determined type. I don’t like being dominated by others. Play hard and fair.”

_Harper, Karma is NOT a weapon. She’s a girl. I’m sending you her picture now._

_Got it. Hey! That’s the chick I saw in the elevator. Torres walked off with her!_

_Torres, can you read me? Karma is the girl you met._

_No shit_ , Torres thought to herself. She blinked when she got the feed Hickam was sending her. She could make out what was the PMCs and they were heading in their direction. It looked like things were going to get dicey.

_She’s in Club Solar, but you’d better make it there fast! The PMCs are moving on her right now! Torres is in the vicinity._

_I’m sitting right next to her._ Torres rolled her eyes but didn’t miss the concerned tone in David’s voice. She didn’t know what to think of it and brushed it off. The first thing was to make sure they had the advantage. At least she had advanced warning courtesy of Hickam.

Surveying the area, Torres noted the exits and possible places for cover. The only option was to get to the dance floor. The swirling bodies may help but given that if these PMCs were possibly the shoot to kill types.

“Chloe… Chloe, you need to come with me now!”

Torres turned to see that Harper had caught up to them on the dance floor after she subtly suggested it. Well there was back up and while it was urgent, it was clear that Harper’s manner was not reassuring. She watched as Chloe narrowed her eyes at the man, “You? Who the hell are you? How’d you know my name?”

Torres watched the scene. She could tell Chloe was alarmed at the whole thing. She didn’t understand what was going on and it was freaking her out. She would watch and then step in as necessary.

“I’m Mike Harper, a Navy SEAL.”

“Get the fuck away from me!” Chloe started to struggle against Harper’s grip.

Torres rolled her eyes since it was clear that things were going to require the blunt approach. Harper had the same thought as he shouted, “Listen, you hear me? Your life is in danger. Terrorists are coming for you NOW!”

“Terrorists? What are you talking about?”

Torres calmly entered, “Exactly what it means Chloe.” She moved to take position just in case. She took in the shocked look on Chloe’s face. She continued, “Right now there are PMCs coming for you. They have been sent by Raul Menendez.” She tried to give a look of understanding even though it sucked having your life turned upside down like that.

“Wait! You know this creep?”

“Work together. We were looking for Karma. We thought it was a weapon. What we found… makes sense,” Torres offered with a shrug.

_Secure her, Harper. Torres. We’re on our way._

Chloe was looking surprised and angry. There would be time for that later. Torres said, “I know it’s a lot to process, but we’re here to make sure that you’re safe.” She shot a look at Harper and then back at Chloe. “Just stay with me and things are going to be okay.”

_Harper, where are you?_

“We’re on the dance floor, Section,” Torres commed in a calm tone. She stared at Chloe, hoping that she would trust her. Trust in that Fire Dragon that Mei said she was.

_On my way._

_Section, I’m in position on the club balcony._

Torres spared a glance and could pick out Salazar. She then looked back at Chloe with a firm look. She kept speaking in calming tones, “Everything will be fine, Chloe. Trust my Fire Dragon.” She gave a slight smile.

Chloe nodded as the shock wore off. She was surprised that the woman she was dancing with was with the creep SEAL. She had confidence though since it was clear that they weren’t going to hurt her. She did like Torres though. “Okay.”

Torres nodded, “Okay. We need to leave now.” She held out her hand. “Pretend like we’re gonna get out of here.” She shot a look at Harper to back off.

If there was a chance to get out of there without causing a scene, she was going to take it. She felt Chloe’s hand slip into hers and gave her a reassuring smile. She turned to see Section approaching and dipped her head in warning and at the same time shoving Harper aside, “Go away, creep.”

_SECTION! At least ten mercs and they’re taking hostages._

Torres pulled Chloe with her to hide in the crowd as the mercs started coming in and grabbing people. She was hoping they had a little more time, but it looked like that they weren’t. She put her bag down on the ground and positioned it to get ready as she saw DeFalco grab an innocent girl and held her hostage.

“Chloe Lynch!”

Torres looked back at Chloe. She waved subtly at her to not do anything and turned to watch DeFalco. She felt her body tense up as it became clear through the body language that the guy would kill the hostage if Chloe gave herself up. She subvocaled, “Salazar, he’s got a hostage.”

The shot went off and Torres flinched as she heard women crying in fear. She felt her throat convulse as the girl fell to the ground and another was shoved into DeFalco’s arms. She could hear David telling Salazar to take the shot, but a look around… too many civilians and she couldn’t rush DeFalco. That left only one choice.

Turning, she looked at Chloe. The girl looked at her and Torres could tell that she was thinking the same thing. She caught Chloe’s eye and nodded. David was going to be pissed at her if he learned the details, but she would deal with that later. She turned her gaze forward towards the man that was after Chloe and took a couple of deep breaths.

“No!”

Torres stayed down when Harper tried to stop Chloe. She wanted to nod appreciatively when Chloe gave a nice punch and had Harper down on the ground. She turned to see Chloe being grabbed, her hand in her purse just as DeFalco gave the order to open fire.


	9. Chapter 9

_Defalco detonated a fucking bomb outside the nightclub! He’s got the girl._

Torres shook her head to get a few loose locks out of her way and secured them behind her ears. She looked around and taking a few breaths, tapped her earpiece, “Hickam, are you still there?”

_You know I’ll never leave you._

“And that sounds creepy,” Torres muttered in good humor, glad that the personality quirk of the AI was still there. It was comforting in a way and she had been concerned she had been disconnected when the explosion happened after she took off to follow DeFalco and Chloe aka Karma. “Listen, can you patch into security on my deck and Section’s?”

_Easy. I still have access to the mainframe and have been able to use other means of tracking HVP. Signals are a little scrambled._

“Yeah,” Torres looked in front of her and behind her as she took stock of the situation, “well DeFalco scrambled the security feeds. I need them back online.”

_I’ll do what I can. Some are nonresponsive._

“Do what you can, Hickam, and patch the info and schematics to Section’s HUD and mine.” Torres made sure she had everything before she started moving. She added, “I promised her, Hickam.”

_Understood._

Torres nodded as the AI signed off. She sighed as she pushed forward. Right now, she was on her own. There were PMCs on site and they were the kind to shoot to kill. No surprise since they were Raul Menendez.

She had gotten out before the explosion, trailing DeFalco. He had been ready though and his men started shooting at her. She ducked and covered but didn’t return fire. It was better to let them think it was collateral damage, a civilian. She needed to track and get into position where the choppers were. She could set up there and provide back up until David and the others caught up.

She didn’t doubt that they were okay and not hurt from the explosion. She did hear David over the comms requesting that Farid patch into security for this deck. She was already on it with Hickam since the AI could do a little more and maybe help Farid out. She peered out from her hiding spot and saw that she had it clear and started moving, grateful she still had her purse.

She had ditched her suit jacket since she wouldn’t need it and ditched the shoes. Probably the worst thing but she was in lady heels and they weren’t exactly the thing to be running in and shooting. Her sense of balance would be off, and it would just plain annoy her to no end. She was just going to have to be as careful as she could, but she sensed that she was going to cut her feet one way or another. Slinging the bag over her shoulder and putting it so it dangled down her back, she got to her feet and moved forward with her gun at the ready, handgun still in her belt.

_Torres._

“Copy,” she muttered as she slunk forward.

_Where are you? Are you okay?_

“I’m fine. I got out before the explosion,” Torres replied as she checked a corner that would lead her downstairs. “PMCs are swarming the deck. You’re gonna have a lot of resistance. I’m heading towards where DeFalco will make his exit.”

_Didn’t you say the PMCs are massing? Wait for backup._

“Negative. Not even an issue.”

_Torres…_

“Took a different route. So we can box him in and get Karma,” Torres explained as she checked before entering through a store.

_Torres…_

“I made a promise, Section. And I aim to keep it.” Torres paused since she could hear the exasperation on the other end. She added, “Hickam should have sent you the layout and security feed by now. You should be able to push through.”

_Copy that. See you on the other side._

“Will do.”

_And Torres… we need to talk later._

Torres paused at that. She guessed it might be a repeat of after Myanmar. She could take the hit on that. She got over it. She did what she did because it was what Spectre taught her to do. David wouldn’t believe it if she told him that she was a stickler for the rules once. When Spectre tapped her, she had a thing for protocol and the like. It was order, like her ability to hack and program. There was a certain order to things.

She sensed though that it might be something different. Whether or not it had to do with the help he had asked of her remained to be seen. Still, she couldn’t blow him off and it wasn’t like she wanted to. She replied, “Copy that, Section. Over and out.”

_Be careful._

It had been softly uttered, but she heard it. It gave her reason to smile and she continued forward. She paused when she heard the first explosions and gunfire that followed. It appeared that David and the others were quick on their feet to get out and moving. No doubt Harper would have gotten one of the security guards to focus and get ready for the impending firefight, which was now starting.

_Section and team have moved out into the mall. They are taking fire._

Torres acknowledged the sitrep from Hickam and pushed forward. It was becoming very alarming that there were no PMCs down the way she had chosen. After what happened in Lahore, she was certain that Menendez would have had DeFalco cover for all contingencies, and it was no secret that Menendez had it out for Spectre.

When Spectre was first starting out as head of her organization, she had been tracking the movements of Cordis Dei, and that was before it became serious news. While Baseplate was ready to believe her, it took some convincing, some covert ops and of course Singapore to convince the Western world that Menendez was a serious threat. Because Spectre thwarted some major operations Menendez decided that she was worth pursuing and threatened to get her.

The funny thing was that Menendez had no idea who Spectre was. That was brilliancy on Spectre’s part. There were any number of assets who would step up and say they were Spectre; that was how well the woman was respected and liked. They believed in what she stood for. Torres felt the same, and she couldn’t help it. The woman had a way of getting operators from different nations to cooperate. It still had Spectre keep her guard up especially since she had two young children now.

Torres trusted her gut and took it slow and easy. The unease she felt helped especially when a PMC came up from behind and started shouting in Spanish. She was able to take him out and she hid him while waiting to see if his shouting alerted anyone else.

_I have him! Exiting the mall!_

Torres looked around and called out, “Hickam. Need a quick exit to cut off.”

_Copy that. There._

Torres saw the path outlined. She saw the specs and rolled her eyes, “Seriously?”

_You did go through CQB at Credenhill._

“Little bastard,” Torres muttered as she hoofed it to the target area. The ventilation shaft Hickam outlined was there.

With a few solid kicks, she had the grate open and was heading through it, following the path Hickam outlined. She muttered, “You really are sadistic, Hickam.”

_I am only programmed to provide information as would be beneficial to my handler regardless of the circumstances._

Torres snorted as she crawled through the space. The vents were taking her out of the mall and with nothing to obstruct her view or pace, she could get there to help David as they boxed DeFalco in. She called out, “Farid, are you jamming DeFalco’s detonator?”

_Working on it._

“Use Hickam.”

_Who?_

_Me. I’m Hickam._

_What the…_

“Just go with it, Farid,” Torres shouted as she ran through the vents. “He specializes in encrypted security and signals.”

_If you say so._

Checking her HUD and the position of David and the others, she noticed something. She relayed, “Section, remote station 55. Break in. There should be something in there to help.”

_Copy that. Where are you?_

“You don’t want to know, but I’m getting closer to catching that bastard,” Torres replied. “Just getting together and having a few laughs.”

_Very funny._

Torres thought it was. It certainly made her feel better as she came to the exit. She looked down and could see PMCs milling around and they were firing at something. She shook her head in annoyance, “You couldn’t think to warn me of PMCs, you sadistic bastard?”

_You asked me for a fast way. You didn’t necessarily specify an easy way._

“Kind of looking for the same thing.” Torres sighed as she looked down while trying to ascertain how she was going to do this. Her dropping in would startle them enough. The problem was that she needed to know the numbers she was dealing with. She didn’t want to get hit and then have David pissed at her.

_Farid, can you hack an ASD unit at remote station 55?_

_Station 55. Got it!_

Torres smirked as she continued to observe. The gunfire was so loud, they couldn’t hear her making noise as she shifted her weight. She keyed in her wrist console and got a survey through Hickam’s added modifications. She tapped a few things

_Colossus’ defenses are now armed to respond to a terrorist attack._

Torres’ eyes widened, “That means the automated security will target armed personnel as hostile!”

_That includes the enemy?_

Torres rolled her eyes and shouted, “ANY armed personnel!”

It was a mistake since she heard gunfire being aimed upward. She shifted to move out of the way. She gritted her teeth and cursed herself for doing something stupid. It became more of an embarrassment when she shifted the wrong way and crashed through the ceiling and landed hard on the ground.

The crash disoriented everyone, but the PMCs were the first to recover and they shouted at her to get up with her hands up. Torres knew she was outnumbered and went with the best option and that was to raise her hands. She let them take away her guns and pad her down while she glared at the leader of the group. She would fight. She just had to time it right. She wasn’t going to let them touch her a moment longer than necessary.

Before she could contemplate her plan, a clinking sound happened, and a canister rolled in. Recognizing it for what it was, she closed her eyes and waited for the bang. As soon as she heard the groans, she went into combat mode and used her skills in CQB to take out the two closest to her. She barely registered the almost electric hum of gunfire and turned to see a couple of PMCs collapse on the ground.

One of them managed to grab her from behind. Torres growled at that and elbowed him while reaching for his knife. She yanked it out and flipped it. In a fluid motion she swung upward and stabbed the PMC in the eye and felt his grip loosen instantaneously. She took a breath as the body collapsed and turned to the shooter as the smoke cleared. She raised her brow and gave a smirk, “Still raising hell, Jackson?”

Jackson came into view grinning, “Only on special occasions, love. You alright?” He gestured at her.

Torres looked at her appearance. The bare feet thing was probably what he was concerned about. She nodded, “I’m good.” She turned towards the sound of gunfire. “But we gotta go. Still have to get DeFalco.” She picked up her bag and her guns.

Jackson shrugged his shoulders, “What I’m here for.” He held out a rifle towards her.

****

Capturing an enemy/terrorist with scared civilians running around was never easy. When people were scared, they did what was normal; the fight or flight response. At least most of the civilians were making a run for it. That made the job easier since they were running away from the danger, clearing the way for David and his team to catch up and prevent DeFalco from getting away with Karma. They utilized everything that Colossus offered in terms of security, but David couldn’t help but worry about Torres.

He had been pissed that she had run off again. Yet, he was also relieved that she hadn’t been caught in the explosion outside the club. She had taken to following the man with Karma managed to avoid the bulk of the PMCs. She wasn’t a greenie that was making rookie mistakes. He could admit that she was good, but he just didn’t want to see anything happen to her. And it wasn’t because she was Spectre’s agent though that was what he was currently using to justify the feelings.

He and his team had made it to the mall and were met with heavy resistance from the PMCs. These guys weren’t messing around and fired at about anything that was moving. The only thing to do was to push forward. They took cover and took their time even thought hey were on a time crunch. DeFalco was trying to escape and he was trying to blow up the place.

Farid was working on the jamming, which bought them some time and it helped when Torres pointed out a security locker containing an ASD. In David’s book, any chance to gain an advantage was welcomed. So, he had Farid tap in to hack and work for them. It didn’t go quite as well as to be hoped since the automated systems were set to target any armed personnel. That didn’t just mean the PMCs. That meant him and his team. A twisted way of the Mexican standoff.

Moving down to the lower levels had them being met with ASDs that were firing on PMCs and them. He spotted Harper taking fire. Taking cover, David pulled out a few of his grenades and lobbed them at the ASDs. While they helped with shooting down the PMCs, they were going to be a hindrance to him and his team. They had served their purpose in that section.

_We have to move faster!_

_DeFalco’s getting away!_

They had to push forward. David paused to reload his gun and take cover. A few stray bullets came in his direction and sent debris flying. He was lucky that his cover wasn’t like thin plywood or some shit like that. Then he would be in trouble.

_Section, I can see DeFalco. He’s heading towards the exit._

“You better get there first, Torres,” David replied as he ducked to avoid getting shot at by a rogue ASD. He huddled until the damned thing decided it had enough.

_Copy that. You need to hurry so we can box him in._

“Working on it.” David peeked around and found that the ASD was still honed on him. He took cover again as the thing aimed and fired. “Fucking ASD.”

There was a shot and the high-pitched whining of the ASD before it went dead. David blinked and peered around to find the ASD dead where it had been firing. He could make out the sparks where the bullet had made its entrance.

_Oye, mate. Get your arse moving!_

“Who the hell is this?”

_Let’s just say that I’m a troubleshooter in general. Even in a fucking jungle._

_Taking up position and tracking DeFalco. You better get a move on Section if we’re gonna catch him._

David recognized the voice as Jackson, the one that had relayed the sitrep at FOB Spectre. Spectre gave a humoring look at the time and David realized that this guy was one of hers. She must have sent him. Questions he had, but the answers would have to wait. DeFalco was getting away and he needed to be in position to help Torres and the others. He got to his feet and pushed forward.

_It’s the cell phone!_

“Block the signal.”

_Okay, working on it._

_Step aside and let a professional work._

It was like that phrase of one too many cooks in the kitchen. It was hearing one too many voices in his ear as Hickam essentially bullied his way in to damn the phone signal. In a rare fit, he figured that it made sense for Torres to have an AI with this kind of personality. “I don’t care who does it. Just jam the signal. We need to keep that bomb from going off.”

_Copy that._

_Faster, Section!_

It was a sprint to the finish line and it was littered with a few more ASDs and PMCs firing at him and his team. He was able to avoid the ASDs as they were taken out by sniper rounds. They were followed by the Brit on the comms taunting the machines. Harper and Salazar were flanking him and taking down the PMCs as they saw them.

At one point, David got a clear shot and brought up his weapon to fire. DeFalco was faster and was firing at him. The shot caught him in the chest, hitting the body armor it was enough to knock the air out of him and he was down for the moment, feeling stunned by the whole thing.

“Section!”

David barely registered Harper screaming at him. He wanted to say that he wasn’t dead, but he couldn’t at the moment. He couldn’t breathe really, and he felt panic start to set in. What the fuck was going on? It felt like someone was squeezing his lungs.

“Take the shot, Sombra!”

_Who the fuck is Sombra?_

The shot echoed throughout the area. David recognized it as a sniper shot. It had to be Torres. She always came through if they were in a jam. He tried to keep his eyes open, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t breathe, and it seemed easier to close his eyes.

_Lights out you fucking bastard._

All of a sudden, David felt a rush of air come into his lungs and he gasped for air. He ended up coughing a bit, “What the hell happened?”

“Took one to the chest, man,” Harper said, kneeling next to him. “Hit your chest plate.”

“And paralyzed your respiratory system,” Jackson’s British accent said with a wry grin. “Damned lucky, mate. You were down but the bloody bugger was going to kill you.”

David blinked as he processed what was being said. He then blinked and asked, “Torres?”

Harper grinned, “Sombra took the bastard out. Headshot. Lives up to her name. A shadow.”

David shook his head at that and frowned. Salazar came up saying, “Sombra confirms kill. DeFalco is dead and we have Karma.”

There was two people calling Torres by a call sign. David shook his head to clear the fog. “Alright,” he grunted as he got to his feet after Jackson gave a field test for concussion. “Good job,” he offered. It was really all he could say.

What he found though was that he wanted to see Torres. Wanted to make sure she was okay. True she had sniped before, but she had to have heard what happened over the comms. Unless she was like Spectre and tuned things out until the job was done.  “Let’s clean up.”

Harper went over to grab the body of DeFalco. While it had been confirmed, sometimes a physical body helped. David called for the extract while rubbing the area where the bullet hit. It ached and was definitely going to leave a bruise. May have even cracked a rib. At least he was alive.

The extraction came in and David signaled for them to move out. Harper carried the body after Jackson got on first. He heard Harper say, “Sal, help me with the garbage.”

David blinked as he watched Salazar and Harper take care of the body. Torres was walking to the right of Karma, being more like security. He hadn’t failed to notice that Karma smiled and hugged her, thanking her, saying, “You really are the Fire Dragon.”

So now they had the Celerium device and Karma. It seemed that they were putting a dent into Menendez’ master plan. He tapped Karma on the arm, “So without your expertise, Menendez’ plans for Celerium will have hit a roadblock.”

Karma turned to look at him and replied, “It may slow his progress, but it won’t stop him. He will get what he wants… Believe me.” She then turned to get on the transport.

That brought a sense of foreboding. David gritted his teeth as he watched Karma enter. He almost missed that Torres sidled up next to him until she said, “She’s not wrong. Not to be pessimistic, but we need to keep that option open. That he has contingency.”

David nodded to acknowledge that. He turned to look at Torres. She was giving a twisted smile that was sad. He replied, “I guess we could say we are a step closer.”

“I feel it is.”


	10. Chapter 10

“Man, that looks fucking nasty.”

David glared at Harper as he pulled off his ACUs and took a look at where he took the hit. It was pretty nasty with the bruise forming like it exploded on his chest. It had hit center mass and if it had gone through, he would have been dead. His lip twitched as he touched it. The impact may have cracked his sternum as well, but in any case, he was going to have to report to the medic on board. Right now, he just wanted to wash off the grime.

Hiding the wince, he ambled to take a quick shower. He would have liked to linger, but water was limited, and he had to make do with what he was allotted. It provided some relief and forced him to be unwillingly checked out in the infirmary. He endured the ribbing from Harper and ended up finding out that he did have a cracked sternum apart from the bruising. At least he was still functioning.

“I want you to take it easy for a couple of days.”

David didn’t say anything considering that the doc would probably say something and have him benched if he thought about disobeying. The faint idea of appealing to Spectre crossed his mind but he doubted that would work. So, he took the admonishment and order meekly and left to get briefed on what happened while they were tackling Colossus and finding Karma.

Spectre always had a saying that just because there was a serious threat going on didn’t mean the world stopped turning. People took advantage of the situation. David figured it was born out of her experiences in Russia and being on the run with persona non grata. In the grand scheme of things, it made sense. Time wasn’t necessarily linear as people liked to make it. It was a constant fluctuating thing and he could see how it could upset the general population’s sense of order.

While they had been tackling Colossus, Spectre had been coordinating strike force missions. David found out when they got back, and it was why his friend hadn’t greeted him like she usually did. She was busy in ops and when she was busy, you left it alone unless you wanted your head bitten off. Briggs learned it the hard way and she had been coldly polite about it. Harper later said that you could feel the temperature in the room drop to _way_ below zero.

Making his way to a computer he tapped a few keys. He blinked when he saw Addy on the screen, “Addy, what’s going on?”

_Just responding per Spectre’s orders._

David raised his brow as he studied the AI. He had ‘met’ the AI early on in his partnership with Spectre back when she went by another call sign. He marveled at the development of AI and the fact that it was a true AI. He found it funny that it adopted the moniker of a child and with a British accent. He teased, “Ever consider growing up?”

_One or twice, but I prefer this look. It gives a friendly appearance. Also, it honors Spectre though I doubt she see that._

“Really?”

_Yes._

That was something to explore and Addy would gladly go into detail about it, but David sensed that was a private thing and let it be. He focused on what he came for and asked, “So can you tell me about what went on while we were away?”

_Spectre coordinated two strike force missions. First was to destroy a cargo container ship containing weapons that would have greatly affected balance of power in Tehran. In order to execute, Spectre had SEAL operatives rope in along with ASDs and CLAWs. Three points had to be taken and jamming signals destroyed to allow the JDAM to be dropped…_

As Addy was relaying the information, she pulled up the AARs and information that came from body cams and other sources. David glanced through it and noted how Spectre deployed troops on deck. He was impressed by it and really wasn’t since he had seen her in action and Singapore came to mind. They were never going to live that down, but it was a good lesson and it set them on the path they were on now. “Looks good, Addy. What else?”

_Escort of four Humvees. No boots on the ground. ASDs, quad drones and eye in the sky to protect. Enemy infantry and RPGs were the bulk of the problem along with the enemy hiding in the cliffs of Afghan._

David looked at the information. “Spectre’s been busy.”

_Always the case. Reports have been coming in all over from SP assets about Menendez’ move. Right now, Spectre is trying to determine the most likely location of where his master plan is held up._

“Farid is undercover in Yemen. He has contact.”

_True, but Spectre suspects more to it and she is worried that it will come back to you. She suspected that Menendez is being methodical to draw you out and her._

“Makes sense on why she had Torres being active in my team.”

_Agent Torres was assigned because she can access systems that Spectre can’t. Not without drawing attention. Agent Torres has commendation from Secret Service for her work in tracking down corrupt banking systems. Shut down a lot of money laundering operations and funding fronts for terrorists._

“Huh,” David muttered.  “And yet she doesn’t look like a field agent.”

_Spectre knows the importance of making the enemy think one thing when another is going on. It’s why she also authorized the pairing with AI Hickam. That and my analysis offered a unique combination._

“And Hickam has been helpful so far.”

_You haven’t seen his potential yet._

David smirked at the AI as she smirked back. He finished what he was doing and closed the data stream. He looked at the projection of the AI and asked, “So how is Spectre doing?”

_Like I said. Worried about you. I think she found a few things on your side project that bother her. She has been going over old records from past interviews and investigations. There are hints that there is another CIA agent that was involved with this but no solid evidence._

“Wouldn’t surprise me, but… I get it. Even I have a few unanswered questions. Torres put some of them into perspective.”

_Another reason for the assignment._

David rolled his eyes slightly. The AI was similar in personality to Spectre and he knew that the AI would leave him hanging with a knowing look. He would be forced to figure it out and he didn’t mind since it often forced him to slow down and think about things. He nodded and grin, “Thanks Addy. Take care.”

_You do the same, Section._

David watched as the AI disappeared. He sensed someone was watching him and he shifted to see Spectre standing there with a gentle smile. He shifted and asked, “How long you’ve been standing there?”

“Since Addy alerted me that she was briefing you on the strike force missions,” Spectre offered with a shrug and a chuckle. “I take it you approve of my deployment of troops?” She stepped forward with a teasing grin on her face.

“Pretty much. Couldn’t have done better.” David leaned against the bulkhead and crossed his arms over his chest. It was probably a bad idea since he had a nasty bruise and a cracked sternum, but it was hard to break habits with friends. “How did Briggs take it with you calling the shots?”

“About as well as you expect,” Spectre offered. “As long as the job was done, he was fine with it. We were on a time crunch and it wasn’t feasible to pull you from the Colossus op. By the way, great job on securing Karma.”

“You can thank Torres,” David countered as he shuffled against the bulkhead. “She took down DeFalco. That was some of the best sniping skills.”

“Soap taught her more than me.”

“And you helped. She is your protégé,” David gave a knowing grin. He sobered a little and added, “And she is as good as you tried to tell me in the beginning. And… you were right in that she did what any of my guys would have done. Saved my ass a couple of times.”

Spectre smiled at David knowing that admitting wrongs was a difficult thing for people accustomed to making those life and death decisions for the sake of the team and the mission. She nodded in approval, “I hope you understand why she will be your right hand on this.”

“Menendez found you out?”

“Closer than I’d like.” Spectre looked away as she leaned against the bulkhead next to David. “As far as the world knows, Spectre is a male with ties around the world. At least those in the world I operate in. It was the goal of Shadow Protocol when it was created under the last Spectre.” She looked at David, “Spectre isn’t just one person. It is multiple people. Kind of like that movie the dread Pirate Roberts.”

David nodded though he wasn’t sure about what she was talking about in terms of the movie. It was vaguely familiar, but he got the general idea. Spectre was the current incarnation, but there had been others before and will be others after. It was why a lot of effort was made to keep ‘Spectre’ as a figure of the shadows. Not even all the assets in Shadow Protocol knew who Spectre was. He looked at her, “So, what are you going to do?”

“I found some leads on our project that are related to our mission,” Spectre replied, “But a few are things that I have to address on my own.” She looked at David, “Torres can help where I can’t.”

“I had that figured.”

“Good.”

The pair looked outward at nothing. They looked like a pair of friends that were having a good time just being in each other’s company. Finally, David spoke, “I’m going to see the old man.”

“Good.”

“I keep having flashes of the night I was taken. Torres gave a theory about it.”

Spectre nodded at that. “And?”

“I asked her to go with.”

Spectre hummed at that. She didn’t look at David, but she could hear the change in tone of his voice. After a moment, she glanced at him and asked, “How do you really feel about that?”

David looked away and down at the ground. He wasn’t really sure. He knew that he had doubts about her ability, but really thinking about it revealed a few things that he hadn’t been ready to address and yet events conspired to force him to confront it or make a stand that appeared to be brushing it off. It did bother him that he might have scared her the first time. The flicker in her eyes was unmistakably fear, but a certain kind of fear.

Spectre observed David. She suspected that there were sparks flying and it had nothing to do with mutual dislike and clash of personalities. She had spoken to Torres earlier and she could tell that she had been worried when David took a shot to the chest and had his respiratory system paralyzed for a moment. She saw the worry, but also the focus of getting the job done. And she hadn’t missed the cues when she first introduced them.

David knew that Spectre was waiting for an answer. Finally, he said, “I feel a lot better with her there. I get the feeling the old man knows something and he’s afraid of telling me.”

“We all have things that we fear will change the perspective of those that matter the most to us.”

David glanced at his friend, “And I get the feeling you know what it is.”

“I might, but I did tell Woods that things like this are best from the horse’s mouth. I told him that he should be the one to tell you.” Spectre straightened up and moved to stand in front of David. She put a hand on his shoulder, “David, we’re friends. We go back to when you sought me out in Rio and even saved my butt then. What you and Woods have is closer. Woods told me a few things and then some. But do you remember what I told you? Back when you were near begging me to help you out?” She peered at him.

David stared back and nodded, “You said that there are paths that I may not like where they go.” He sighed and then continued, “And I told you that I was looking to put a few ghosts to rest.”

Spectre nodded, “You can do that. I have done what I can, but there are some things…”

“Right,” David nodded in agreement. “It’s with the old man.” He smiled slightly as he straightened up, “Thanks Ryan.”

Spectre grinned at her old call sign. Sometimes as a joke, operators who knew her by that would call her that. Her best mate still did. “We’re friends, Section.” She patted his shoulder and then threw out, “Take it easy. A cracked sternum is no joke.”

****

“Thanks for coming along.”

Torres looked up from the book she was reading. She was comfortable with military cargo flights and always laughed when people looked at how comfortable she was. Part of her training with Spectre was to learn how to go with the flow and adapt. This was just one of those things and she used to read in the car when her brothers would take her out for a fun day. She looked over to see David trying to relax and was looking uncomfortable about it. No doubt his chest was bothering him, but she didn’t fuss over it and he seemed to appreciate that and was well aware that she would put her foot down if he got worse.

Putting her book down in her lap, she replied, “You did ask.”

“But you didn’t have to,” David pointed out. “I made it like an order, but you technically didn’t have to follow.”

“I wanted to,” Torres shrugged and gave a saucy grin. “It’s relaxing to let down the mousy persona for once.” She rotated her shoulders, aware that David could see her tattoo since she opted to wear a tank top.

David grinned and paused as he caught a glimpse of the tattoo he had seen a couple of times before they boarded a flight to the mainland. He noted the Chinese characters and the image on it. He recognized the dragon but wasn’t familiar with the lettering. He figured that was what Karma had been referring to when she called Torres the Fire Dragon.

“The characters are for the Fire Dragon. I was born the year of the dragon and my element was fire,” Torres offered with a wry grin in David’s direction. “An old friend decided I should get ink and picked it. I went with it.”

“It suits you.”

Torres looked up to see that David was trying to get some rack time. He had closed his eyes before she could say anything, but it had her thinking about his comment. She was used to the briskness of his speech whether it was to convey orders or even talk about a briefing. The few times his voice softened when it came to personal… it was nice, and it had her relax more and it had her thinking as they made it to the mainland and took their vehicle to the Vault.

“Commander Mason and Special Agent Torres for Sergeant Woods,” David announced themselves to the guard at the Vault.

Torres looked around at the place. Her private thoughts conveyed a cushy prison with all the security. It was warranted though and from what she knew of Sgt. Woods, the man had secrets that could be dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands. Yet, it also provided the best care for old age and other things that plagued the elderly, apart from injuries that crippled. She followed David while observing the place.

“What took you so long? Started to think you weren’t gonna make it. Who’s the broad?”

Torres was brought back to the present when she looked at the man in the wheelchair. Her lip twitched in bemusement as she introduced herself, “Simone Torres. I believe you know Spectre.”

“Spectre’s ass wipe,” Woods grinned as he put two and two together. “Tell me, is the witch still wanting me to do that thing?”

“If it means something about being under oath, then yes,” Torres replied in slight confusion. She was taking a guess at it since she didn’t know about previous interactions. She did like the old man and could see why Spectre would.

Woods laughed at that before looking at David and gesturing at her, “She’s quick. I’ll give her that. Don’t let this one go, kid.”

David smiled a wavering smile. He was afraid that Torres would be put off by Woods’ mannerisms, but it seemed that he didn’t have to worry about that. What had him was the fact that Woods was another person that was putting two and two together to make five. He did like Torres, but there were things that he wasn’t quite ready to address yet. Plus, she was a teammate.

Woods sensed that David was uncomfortable and gestured to the bench and relented, “Anyway, better this ass wipe than some other asshole. Spectre’s the one to trust.”

Torres was grateful that no one was paying attention to the fact that she went red at Woods’ insinuation. She liked David, truly did. This wasn’t the time though. It was a relief that Woods took the reins and directed them to have a seat. She took a seat next to David and was prepared to sit and listen until Woods teased her, “You’re not gonna record this? Spectre did every single one.”

“I wasn’t aware that I was supposed to,” Torres replied promptly while smiling. “But I can. Nobody will see your ugly face, but they’ll hear your pretty voice”

Woods had to laugh, “See what I mean kid?” He gestured at Torres, “Record away, girlie.”

David had to chuckle since it was funny and schooled himself as to what he wanted to say. When the mood sobered, he asked, “What the fuck was I doing there?”

Woods sobered at the question. Spectre had warned him that David was remembering about that night. The woman wasn’t a shrink, but she was an observer. It was time to come clean and he admitted to himself that he was glad that the girl was there. He suspected that she was what David needed and she needed him. They just didn’t know it… yet. He looked at David and replied, “The dead don’t suffer. That’s why you and I are still here.”

David pursed his lips as he thought about what Woods was saying. He was also remembering that night. It was becoming clearer that Raul Menendez had been there the night that his father died and that he had been taken far from home. He stood up and started pacing, trying to work off the stirrings of anxiety and impatience that were working their way in. He glanced at Torres who was sitting there calmly, watching everything.

She wasn’t one to snitch on him and she didn’t have that intention. He could see her concern, genuine concern, as she was watching him. There was that hint of fear he had seen before. Like she was afraid of what he might do, like she had seen it before and it frightened her. He strove to calm down as he paced.

Woods watched the exchange. He hadn’t failed to see it too, but he saw something different than what David had. They would figure it out. He sighed and continued, “He’s got a plan for you kid. He’s been working on it for thirty years and he is counting on you coming after him. You and Spectre since you both stalled his plans.”

David paused and turned to look at the old man, “What a minute… Frank you have intel?”

“Remember that pendant?” Woods looked at David as the kid kneeled in front of him. Torres hadn’t moved but was listening intently. “Pfft… disappeared… What do you think, it just sprouted legs and walked away?”

The tone in how Woods said it had Torres swallow slightly. She looked around to check security. She saw the implications there. It was why there were a lot of things that hadn’t been disclosed to the people. She could just imagine the mass hysteria that would occur if they learned that no one was truly safe in the full meaning of the word.

“This guy, he knows every angle, every move you’re gonna make, he’s gonna take out 20-30 million people. As if that’s gonna bring her back.” Woods looked downward with regret on his face.

“It’s all about his sister?” Torres pointed out. When Woods looked at her, she probed, “Right?”

“He killed my father, to get to you,” David interrupted. His voice was choked with emotion. He wasn’t sure what to feel. Anger, sadness… similar emotions when he was a kid but directed at another person. He stood up and looked downward at the man that raised him.

Torres swallowed from the interruption. She could see how this could go downhill and fast. She could step in and try to keep it from going overboard, but David wanted the truth. She chewed her lower lip mostly because she was thinking about something Spectre said when she tapped her. Something about sometimes investigations going down a path that you might not like when in pursuit of truth and justice. Was this one of those moments? It looked like it.

“There’s no clean shot with that guy…”

Torres looked at Woods. She saw that the memories were haunting him. She stood up and tentatively placed a hand on David’s shoulder, “Menendez was going after them both. Even though you could tell the man that your father tried to stop Woods…”

David brushed her off even though he heard the words. His focus was on Woods as he kneeled in front of him and tried to control the tone of his voice, “Hey! What the fuck happened in Panama?” He stared up at the old man.

Woods saw what Torres tried to do and David’s determination. He sighed and shook his head. He had to tell this story, even if it brought pain to the kid. He looked at Torres and she looked at him. She wasn’t hurt by the brushoff she had just gotten. Rather, it made her determined to figure out why she was in this position. Taking a breath, he started, “I was pretty sure we got him in Nicaragua.”

Torres knew this part in history, “But a year later, he showed up in Panama with Noriega.”

Woods nodded and grunted. At least not all kids were dumb shits about history. “That was the last straw for the CIA. The orders come down from George H. W. for a snatch and grab. So, your dad and I, we go in… What a shit show.”

Torres listened as Woods described how he and David’s father had been sent in. She had read the dossiers true but hearing it from someone who had been on the op… that was different. She had to agree with Woods when he said that the mission was good and the plan good. It all looked good on paper.

“The only piece that didn’t fit was Hudson, on the comm link running the show. It just felt off, even on the way in… I felt it… you know it was gnawing at me… just didn’t look at it.”

Torres had stood up while David sat down. She was looking at Woods as she thought about it. It vaguely itched of the story that Spectre told her when she was younger. It was what had Spectre learn the habits of contingency. She paced a little as she let Woods tell David what happened on that op.

“Not to mention some guy that was too helpful but knew his stuff.”

Torres had been fingering her chin with her forefinger. She turned to look at Woods. There was a lot going on that she hadn’t read about. She chewed her lower lip.


	11. Chapter 11

“You look like hammered shit.”

_Right back at you. And you were damned annoying._

Spectre smiled at the image that was on her screen. All she saw was a shadowy blob, but she knew who it was. After so many years of chasing the holes left behind, she found a few answers. Yet, she didn’t share all of them with David. This was one of them.

_So how is the hunt for that bastard Menendez?_

“About as well as you’d expect. So far, I’ve managed to stay close to being in step with him.” Spectre looked at the screen and gave a raised brow. “But that’s not why you called me, isn’t it?”

_Fucking analyst._

“You knew what I was the moment I was assigned to you at the farm.”

_Only because I made a promise._

“A promise to a man that I don’t care for except in the sense that he created me.” Spectre stared at the dark blob with a raised brow. It was a well-practiced look that worked on her children and grown military men. Her husband knew not to be cute when she was like that.

_And yet here you are. Taking over._

“Only because there was no one else,” Spectre retorted. She put her hands on her hips and looked away and sighed. “And because I needed the resources to protect my family. I got rid of one terrorist only to be chased by another. My only saving grace is that he doesn’t know who I am.”

_All because you kept a step ahead._

“More like contingency.” Spectre shot a wry look at her caller. She gestured towards him, “And it wasn’t you but a surly Manchester bastard that I have a profound bond with like that of comrade of arms. Much like you and a certain sergeant we know.”

_You always had a way of hitting the nail on the head._

“Only because you taught me,” Spectre grinned. She knew that she wasn’t in trouble. It was just something they did. “And when I fell, you watched me get back up. Turned me into a tough one.”

It was quiet for a moment as they shared a laugh. Spectre could remember a time that this wasn’t always so. She remembered the first day they met. She had been plucked from her desk where she had been happy analyzing intel and told that she had the potential to be a field agent. They shipped her off to the farm and assigned her a TO that was a cantankerous and strict bastard.

It hadn’t been the best of times at first. She thought he was sadistic. In time though, she recognized that he was not only teaching her how to be a field operative but skills of survival. They certainly came in handy when she began her contingency operation before she discovered Shepard was a traitor. And she got a few surprises like her old TO reaching out to her.

Spectre looked at the screen and said, “I’ve found a lot of things over the years and not all of them I’ve shared with the person who got me involved in the first place.”

_I’m sorry, Pipsqueak._

Spectre pouted at the nickname her TO had saddled her with when they first met. It was because she was small for her size. She looked like a delicate fairy as her husband put it and she loved showing up the guys that thought it was true. Her finest moment was when she hauled her favorite Manchester bastard in a fireman’s carry in full tactical gear. Her TO laughed at that when he heard it.

Looking at the man, she replied, “You’re never sorry, old man. I’m just lucky I learned how to handle it. Certainly had people thinking twice.”

_And now you’ve got the toughest admiral in the fleet watching what he says._

“I stand on good manners.” Spectre grinned as she placed her hands on her hips and smiled as she took a couple of breaths. She sobered slightly but still smiled at her caller. “If you want a full report, I know that Section is picking at the case. As for other things… he’s going to learn about Panama.”

_Are you gonna tell him?_

“Tell him what? That my father saved your life and you owed him a favor and that included laying low?” Spectre gave a dubious look at her caller. She planted her hands firmly on her hips as he stared. It was much like how they used to argue. “That my father did things that put me in the position I am now? That I’m keeper to the secrets that my Company doesn’t know about except what the history books know about Old Pineapple Face?”

_I see Woods rubbed off on you._

“Don’t change the subject. That may have worked when you trained me.”

_Still works. How else have you been able to get to things that were left hidden? Jensen laid the clues for you._

“And now David and my agent Torres may pay the price.”

_You know as well as I the power of secrets._

“Yeah. They kill.”

_You know what I mean. You have no idea how much I wanted to tell you the truth when you started poking when I was training you. You noticed how I did things and that piqued your curiosity._

Spectre folded her arms over her chest and sighed. He wasn’t wrong. She had always been too curious for her own good. She had taken the job regarding Zakhaev eagerly and it ended up being what it was. She had a bounty on her head until the heads of the snake were cut off. One was done by suicide. Of course, she had a new snake and it was a weary battle to stay one step ahead of him trying to identify her. She looked at her contact and replied, “I noticed how the combat survival skills were not consistent with the other trainees at the farm. You gave them a name and I did my research. I am a fucking analyst.”

_Tell me about it. Nosy librarian._

“And you got what you deserved when you pissed me off.”

She was referring to the time when he really had been cruel during training. There was a point to it, but she didn’t see it then. She only saw that he was being a sadistic bastard. Not even the male trainees would have been subject to that mess, which was why it had hurt, and she said what she said when she was angry. She ended up apologizing later for it, but the damage had been done. In the end, it opened a newfound respect between them.

Taking a breath, Spectre continued, “And in all honesty, it taught me the lesson you were trying to teach me.”

_And I paid a price for it. And I’m not talking about the favor I owe to Jensen. I’m talking about you, Pipsqueak._

“Me?”

_I like you kid. I’ve looked out for you since you left the farm. Who do you think kept the worst off your back?_

Spectre studied the shadowed caller. It was unnecessary, but she was just as determined to keep him a secret until he decided to reveal himself. She respected that even after she put the puzzle pieces to together. “That was you?”

_Like I said. It was never about the favor I owed, still owe._

Spectre was quiet for a time and looked downward. She sighed as she thought about his words. Finally, she said, “I looked into Jenny and the girls and their families. They haven’t been bothered since that night and I requested that it remain so.”

_One of the reasons why you took over for Jensen._

“I’m trying to do better than my father did. But I understand where he was coming from with the information he had at the time.” Spectre paced in front of the console. It felt like she was physically in front of her old trainer. “From his notes, he revealed that he had been tracking you for some time. He knew about your… past discretions.”

_You don’t have to sugarcoat it, Pipsqueak. He knew about the fucking numbers because he was the one that saved my ass in Afghanistan after the mujahedeen betrayed us._

“Tricky Vik.”

_You’ve been hanging around Woods for too long._

“What the fucking hell was I supposed to do since _you_ weren’t talking to me? Because you had to lay low?”

_Point taken._

Spectre gave a wry grin as she cleared her throat. They always argued. It was why she had good times with her surly Manchester bastard. She continued, “Anyway, it’s been clear that he had been keeping an eye on you, even when you were home in Alaska.”

_Knew there was something off. I probably saw him and didn’t realize it._

Spectre shrugged in a nonchalant manner, “It’s Jensen. He did what he wanted.” She snorted a little to show what she thought. “So, when Nicaragua came up, he started making plans.”

_Is it really that detailed?_

“You really have no idea. Apparently, Jensen was tracking down Menendez before the sanctioned assassination hit. It was why he was interested in you though…” She rolled her eyes since she figured there was more to it but wasn’t going to go there. “He tracked down Noriega’s betrayal and gathered evidence. Apparently, some of it was used to call on the snatch and smear.”

_Sounds more like it’s coming from you, Pip. But you aren’t a bastard about it._

“Nice that you think so highly of me.”

_I don’t. But you are better._

Spectre couldn’t help but laugh at that. Her shoulders shook as she tried to stifle her laughter but failed. “If you had my husband’s accent, I’d have mistaken you for him.” She grinned at the screen and could tell that her caller was somewhat amused, but his posture indicated annoyance. “As far as I know everything up to that night is there. Woods even confirmed for me.”

_So, you’ve done it. What about David?_

“It was pretty fortunate that he agreed to my terms when he approached me.” Spectre folded her arms over her chest. “When is it going to stop?”

_As soon as its over. You know this, Pip._

“Yes, and I feel like an ass for this,” Spectre pointed out. “It’s gotten to the point where I’ve had to assign my agent to work with David.”

_About that… there is another reason isn’t there?_

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. I hate using people that I actually like in this manner. This has got to end, Alan.”

_It’s almost over, Pip. Once it’s done… you’ll be free again._

Spectre sighed at that. Sadly, she replied, “It’ll never be over. You know that better than anyone. Hudson showed up after all that shit and look at where you’re at.”

_You know what I mean, Pip. You will be free as well as David. And your Torres._

“Torres?”

_You think I didn’t know about her? I know you, Pip. And I promise. This will be over, and we’ll all be free of it._

****

“The mission was snatch and grab,” Woods growled out. He looked at David and then at Torres.

Torres was sitting, leaning on her knees. She was listening and not even aware that David was leaning in her direction. Her attention was on Woods when she prompted, “Then Hudson?”

“Yeah,” Woods groused, “Fucking Hudson gets on the radio. Says that Noriega is not the mission.”

“Spectre had some notes on that. Something about re-tasking.” Torres pulled up her tablet and flipped through the notes. She found what she was looking for and read, “Target, aka False Prophet, was acquired. Operatives were re-tasked.”

David glanced at Torres. He knew that she knew about the mission based on a dossier. This sounded like she knew more, but to be fair, she was trying to make sense of it. It also looked like she was hearing things for the first time, like she was sitting and interviewing Woods. Maybe it was better that way. She was not as emotionally invested in this.

“He was a fucking hand off, sweetheart,” Woods replied. He looked away, trying to hold in his anger. He didn’t want to scare her away. He didn’t know if she was made of the same stuff as Spectre. So far, he was impressed but… “He’s a prisoner swap. And right fucking then I should’ve known… right then and there… I should’ve have known right then and there… Like, what the fuck is wrong with me! What the fuck!”

Woods was losing his temper and he knew it, but the whole thing just pissed him off. He kept going over that night, that mission, every single day. He tried to figure out what would have happened if he had done things differently. It was his biggest regret and he was sorry that David was paying the price for it. So yeah, he was fucking pissed. He started shaking in his chair, rocking it violently back and forth.

David saw what was happening and stood up. He gestured for Torres to stay seated. It was more to protect her from the unexpected. She was seeing Woods as he was, the good, the bad and the ugly. Yet, he wasn’t going to put her in a position where she could get hurt because of it. He knew Woods would be sorry and not forgive himself if he hurt her. It didn’t take a genius to see that the old man liked Torres, enough to give dating advice about her.

David put his hands on the handles and arm rest of the chair. He let Woods curse some more as he soothed, “Frank, just take it easy.” He made a slight gesture in the direction of Torres.

Woods glanced over. He saw the look on Torres’ face. It wasn’t fear, but it could easily become that. Rather, it was more concern, but teetering. He settled down and growled a little and was surprised when Torres said, “Can’t help but be passionate. But that’s hippie crap.”

Woods looked at Torres and she was grinning at him. He appreciated it and managed a small smile. She was definitely from a similar mold as Spectre. David was lucky to have her. Making a sound, he replied, “Fucking Hudson. I should’ve smoked him in ‘Nam.”

Torres looked at Woods. She had read up on Hudson and… she could see where Woods was coming from. She said, “I have heard that a soldier and a spy are a recipe for disaster.”

“And you’ve been listening to Spectre,” Woods pointed out. He felt a little calmer now. “Little bastard used that excuse with her man and that dipshit was stubborn.”

Torres chuckled at that. She had never heard it put like that before. She couldn’t resist and countered, “Admit it, you think she had balls.”

David blinked at Torres’ language, but Woods seemed to enjoy it since he chuckled, “You got that right. That shit in Singapore was something.”

Torres smiled back and glanced at David. David realized that she was trying to put things back on a calmer setting. She was just relating more to Woods and playing on his relationship with Spectre by using language Woods was familiar with and to hell with the PC crap. She did the same with the team and he should have realized it sooner. Now… he was grateful.

“So, you had to deliver Pineapple Face,” Torres was prompting. “And the invasion was going on at the same time. Nice cover.”

“It was. Good plan,” Woods agreed, appreciative that Torres wasn’t being PC about history. “Nice that you tell it like it is.”

“Well with three older brothers and no nonsense from Secret Service…” Torres shrugged her shoulders in a nonchalant manner.

“Not to mention Spectre sinking her claws into you,” Woods pointed out. He pointed at Torres, “Don’t disregard what she says. She may be a pain in the ass but…”

“I get it, Woods,” Torres nodded in agreement. “Seems like she’s a pain in your ass and yet she seems to like you.”

Woods laughed at the mock puzzled frown that Torres threw him. He felt better enough to continue. He didn’t like telling this story, but… Spectre was right on this one. “Knew it was my pretty face,” he joked.

“Nah, it’s ugly,” David entered, going with the flow. He gave a small grin.

“Then it makes sense,” Torres finished, “Since she claims her husband is Third World ugly.”

They all shared a laugh. The tension eased some and allowed Woods to say, “Alright, enough of that shit. You wanted to know what happened so let me tell ya. And you better be recording this. I’m not having that boss of yours come after my ass for not cooperating.”

Torres nodded and tapped the button on the recorder on her tablet. She had paused it when Woods had started to get too excited. “Take it away, old man.”

Woods growled in approval as he continued his story. He talked about how he, Mason and Noriega had to cross through the park in the middle of the city. The firefight was intense since the invasion was going on. It was an intensive move to remove Noriega from power, but it had been long overdue in his opinion.

It had been policy then to have ties with people like Noriega because they provided the means to provided weapons for counter-insurgency forces and to protect US interests. It was politics and shit like that. It was enough to give a man indigestion after he got pissed off enough. They were hypocrites then because they knew Noriega was involved with drugs and they did nothing about it. Valuable for larger fish and they let the bastard do whatever the hell he wanted.

It was a stinking business and it pissed Woods off. He didn’t regret giving old Pineapple Face a backhand when they caught up with him. It felt fucking good that they were going to send him where he belonged. Then fucking Hudson re-tasked them. They had to make their way through a city under fire because of target Nexus. They had him. They fucking had him.

David started his pacing again as he was listening. Woods stayed where he was. Torres stayed on the bench and had moved closer. She was studying the old man and looking sympathetic and wanted to know what he had seen. David ended up a bit away as he was processing the story. He couldn’t really look at Woods at the moment.

Torres glanced over at David and then at Woods. She put a reassuring hand on top of Woods’ and gently squeezed as David asked, “Did he go out like a soldier?”

The question was directed at either of them. David knew that Torres would have some idea and of course Woods would know. He got the feeling he was going to get answers. He wanted them and a small part of him didn’t want to know; that road he might not like.

When he didn’t get an answer, he turned to see Torres giving a reassuring squeeze to Woods’ hand and noted the old man’s sullen look. Torres looked at him and David knew she might have an idea as well. He strode up to both of them, looking more at Woods as he spoke low, trying to control his anger, “Don’t you tell me that fat fucking slob took him out. Don’t tell me that!”

“David,” Torres spoke. She sighed and said, “All I have is that Mason was KIA. Deets…” She shook her head.

Woods waved Torres off. This wasn’t on her. He patted her wrist in appreciation for her effort. He looked at David with a firm look that said to not take it out on her. “It didn’t go down like that, kid. Noriega was a puppet.”

David sighed. He wanted to roll his eyes. He wanted to be angry with Torres, but that wasn’t being fair. She had admitted the truth to him before this. And he asked her to come, knowing that she may have insight or put something together with his and Woods’ history and what Spectre had. He started to walk away but was stopped by Woods grabbing his wrist.

“We’re all just puppets.”

David looked at Woods. He then glanced at Torres. She wasn’t looking at him and instead opting to busy herself with the recording. He could see her profile though and… He looked away and back at Woods. The silent look was the signal for Woods to continue.

Woods took the opportunity. He hadn’t failed to notice the girl’s reaction and David’s reaction to that. This wasn’t going to get any easier. No wonder Spectre told him it was better coming from him. He looked at David and continued the story that would answer David’s questions. “We were a couple of blocks away when the bastard tried to rabbit on us.”

“Fucking shit,” David muttered as he started to pace again. He put his hands on his hips and sighed as he looked upward, still listening to Woods.

“Fucking shit is right,” Woods agreed. “Caught him and told the fucking bastard that he wasn’t to do a fucking thing until we told him to. Until the gunship strike had us running like hell to the checkpoint.” He sighed as he reached out and held onto David. “I may have questioned orders, but I never questioned motives.” Looking up at David, he growled out, “You take care of your unit, you get your guys home safe.”

“Roger that, Frank.” David turned back towards Woods. There was a double meaning in that. He glanced at Torres.

“That’s not how it is. Chain of command’s fucked.” Woods looked back up at David. “I’m a soldier. I take orders and I get shit done.”

Torres heard the tone of how Woods uttered that and looked up. She looked at the old man and stole a glance at David. He didn’t appear to notice the inflection in Woods’ voice. Call it a curse or a gift, however you wanted to look at it. She realized that this was the moment.

Woods started talking and revealed that Nexus target was Raul Menendez. Torres listened but started observing more. She felt her breath hitch as Woods described in painful detail how he had been ordered to execute Nexus Target only to find out it was Alex Mason that he shot and that it was Menendez that blew out his knees.

Torres watched as David pale from the revelation. He couldn’t speak as he paced, legs wobbly. Woods just sat there. What could he do? She had stood up when she noticed David stumble. He looked like he was going to faint. He did have the sense to try to sit. She just made sure that he didn’t hurt himself. She didn’t have to say anything. What was there to say?


	12. Chapter 12

_Now like Woods, you suffer with me. And then one day… You will see this pendant again. And you will remember…_

_Everything you saw and felt tonight. You will remember all the years of anger and pain. And when you do, David… please… come to me._

_They were words and sounded clouded. Almost like a soothing lullaby. Then they were gone, and things started to become clear. Like he was waking up from a dream. The world became clear and then he saw it._

_His father was dead. Lying there on the ground. There was blood everywhere. His father’s blood. Hudson’s blood… Uncle Woods…_

“I think your words eased the old man.”

David looked up from his musing at Torres. She had taken a seat beside him on their way back to the fleet. She was studying him with a concerned expression, but almost fearful to push further. He got the feeling she said that more as a means of testing the waters and relieve some tension. He knew what she was talking about.

Despite everything, he told Woods that it wasn’t his fault. It really wasn’t. Menendez had pulled the wool over their eyes and people who were supposed to be allies…

_Me and your old man, we were the best… and we still couldn’t stop him._

_Times have changed, old man. He’s going down._

Knowing that Torres was looking for a response, probably any from him, David replied, “I think so too.”

Torres hummed at that and looked forward. She folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. They really didn’t say much after they left the Vault. She thought it was best to let David have the chance to think about things. It was a lot to digest and to be honest, she was a little angry. Angry at Spectre.

Spectre knew the entire time what happened to Alex Mason. There was no hardcore proof, but Torres suspected that her mentor knew more than what she told them. It had her angry because it could have saved a lot of heart ache. The silence to the transport to get back to the _Obama_ allowed her to think more about it and… she could understand why.

One of the lessons that Spectre drove home was that the cliché knowledge is power was true. Information collected could be used to hold sway over those with the ability to affect change, do whatever. It could be used to benefit or destroy. And the corollary secrets could kill fit aptly. So, Torres didn’t have trouble understanding that Spectre thought it was best that David hear what happened from Woods. Perhaps it sounded cruel but…

“She knew.”

Torres broke out of her thoughts to look at David. “What?”

David was looked down at the ground. He had been thinking about things and figured out a few things, “Spectre. She knew what happened. Makes sense since she visited Woods multiple times or figured it out and asked him.”

Torres felt her eyes go wide, “I… I didn’t know…”

“I know.” David looked at Torres. He looked at her and noticed the alarm in her hazel green eyes that sometimes looked brown. He gave a wry chuckle, “I forget Spectre keeps things close to the vest. I don’t blame her and… she figured that this is where we would end up.”

Torres tried not to react to the intensity that David was looking at her. It wasn’t bad, but she didn’t have a clue as to what he was thinking. For all she knew, he could be pissed at her and maybe Spectre. She wasn’t sure of what to say.

David saw her reaction and explained, “I approached Spectre, back in 2016. I tracked her to Rio and… I asked her to help me.” He chuckled as he looked away and then back. “Looking back at it, I was damned lucky she didn’t shoot me.”

“I would have.”

“I know.” David looked at Torres and gave a knowing smile, aware that his voice grew husky at her declaration.

Torres swallowed slightly at David’s tone. Not sure of what it meant, she tried to joke about it, “Which is why Spectre is Spectre. All knowing.”

David chuckled at that, aware that this was probably making Torres uncomfortable. He explained, “I asked her about who trained her. My dad taught me a move and… Spectre made the same one on an op in Bogota. It had me curious and I sought her out.”

“And in the end, she said she would check into things.”

“I told her that it was no rush. I wanted to put a few ghosts to rest.” David looked at Torres and clarified, “Even then, I had suspicions about what happened that night. Heard she was the best. And she made the rules.

“She made the rules for a reason, Torres. And… I’m good with it. She warned me that I may not like what she found out. At the time, I didn’t really care but looking at it now… I’m glad she made the rules. I understand better how she thinks.”

“So, you’re not pissed?”

“Not really. I understand better the position she is in; what you are in.” David cleared his throat and looked away.

Torres felt her cheeks flush. He just basically said that it wasn’t on her. She just felt like it was. She looked forward and blinked a bit. She didn’t know if there was anything she could say to that. It seemed better to just be quiet and think.

David looked away to think and also to hide the fact that he was very aware of how close Torres was. It wasn’t unusual since on missions she had been close. And she did save his life on Colossus. He was the one that asked her to come. Even now he was wrestling with his reasons why.

“I’m not just a history buff.”

David blinked and turned to look at Torres. She was playing with her fingers in an almost shy manner. “What do you mean?”

Torres played with her fingers and tapped her fingertips. “About Panama. It’s not because I had a thing for history. I am from there.”

David looked at Torres with confusion, “But… you’re Secret Service.”

“Yes. And I am a citizen.”

“But…” David frowned in a confused manner.

“Citizen born abroad,” Torres replied with a slight smile. “My father is… was native born Panama. Mom… state department thing. Had my three brothers and then me. I was barely a year old when the invasion happened.”

David looked a her and blinked. He didn’t know this. It wasn’t on her file. “I… didn’t know.”

“Not the kind of thing that looks good when trying to make a new life. And what Mom did…” Torres shrugged like it was not important. “Papa remembered. He was out there, helping the American soldiers, pointing the way. He believed that the Unites States would fix what was broken with the country.

“I remember hearing the explosions. They were like rumbles in the ground. Mom had told my brothers to take care of me and protect me. Don’t ask me how I remember the sounds.”

“And you were… safe?”

“I knew nothing of the truth outside the compound walls. My brothers knew more than I did. Then there were the stories Papa told. Mom couldn’t speak Spanish well, but we all learned.” Torres paused as she caught her breath.

“So, you moved around a lot?”

“Not really. After Panama, we came here. I was four then. Mom and Papa did what they did for the government.” Torres shrugged like it was no big deal. “They made sure it never spilled over into our childhood. Even after Papa and Mom died.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No worries. I had three older brothers that looked after me. One was military.” Torres gave a mischievous smile. She dared a shoulder bump to indicate she was teasing.

David realized what she was saying and couldn’t help but chuckle. “And here I was thinking that you didn’t have a clue. Proved me wrong.”

“It was something that served me well. My brothers taught me how to mislead. People write you off and end up spilling the truth about themselves. Worked well when I interrogated banks that laundered for terrorists.”

“And fooled a bunch of tough SEALs.”

“Probably my greatest achievement,” Torres countered with a smile. She started laughing because it was funny now, even with the rough patches. She watched as David laughed with her. It made things seem better.

David couldn’t help but laugh with her. He felt a little more relaxed and able to process what he had learned from Woods. He studied her, watching as she stretched out to relax the rest of the ride. She stretched out and put her hands underneath her head and looked upward like she was outside under the tree at the Vault.

He couldn’t help by smile and shifted to take up a similar position. He put his hands behind his head and looked upward at the ceiling of the transport. He sighed and asked, “So… you think you can handle another mission, Sombra?”

Torres snorted at the fact that David called her by the call sign Harper gave her. She knew that call signs were given by other team members and stuck throughout service. She wasn’t a soldier, but she just admitted to having one of her brothers in service, so she couldn’t claim otherwise. She replied, “Oh I can. The question is whether or not you can keep up, Section.”

David snorted at that. “You’ll do, Sombra.”

****

_This whack job has been juicing his boys to invade Russia. China has lost control, and they’ve asked for our help. Now just five minutes ago, myself and Spectre were on the phone with the President. She called it. We’re gonna take him out._

Jackson rolled his eyes slightly as the team he was on moved into position. He found it particularly humorous that he was helping the Americans when in fact he was British. Of course, he had to thank Spectre for that one. She tapped him and tasked him to one of her international teams and then solo assignments as needed.

_And only because she was impressed with the tech._

It was more of a joke. He actually didn’t mind working with the Yanks. He met a few on his task force and of course he was introduced to the now famous 141. So, this wasn’t an issue. He was willing to help out and take down Zhao. Loyalty was a dangerous thing and it seemed that this would be like others throughout history.

Section and Torres had returned from their mission and thrust into another one. Jackson was inclined to believe in that phrase of no rest for the weary. It seemed that Section barely had time to breathe as he was brought up to speed by Briggs and Spectre.

Briggs and Spectre. Now there was a fucking irony. Then again Spectre earned her stripes five times over. Certainly, the task forces knew that. They loved spreading stories that made her seem superhuman or like a monster. Then come over to the states and they were fawning or like scared little pansies. It was particularly funny watching an admiral watch his language around her. Then again, she could swear like a sailor. Oh, the humor.

_Jackson, you copy?_

“Reading you loud and clear, Section,” Jackson replied as he looked out his transport. “We’re about five mikes out from our drop zone.” He looked back at the team he was assigned to. “Still not sure why you had me drop in with these dandies.”

_You wanted to help._

“And I’m also a smart arse,” Jackson retorted. “Unless this is payback for Colossus.”

_Nah. Besides we know it was Sombra that save my ass._

“Who the bloody hell is that?”

_Member of my team now, Jacks._

Jackson grinned at that. “Right, mate.” He cleared his throat and turned to business, “So, killing this bastard Zhao will deal a blow to the arse that is fucking with things.”

_It will deal a massive blow to Menendez’ plans._

Jackson nodded in agreement. He had heard this in briefing before being shipped out with SEALs, boots on the ground. He was in agreement that Menendez needed to be stopped and this would be a move. “Okay, so we target Zhao’s VTOL and…”

_Bag ‘em and tag ‘em._

“Aye. Got that, mate.”

_And don’t miss Jacks._

“Like I could do that,” Jackson gave with a playful tone. “I dare you to shoot straighter.”

_I already do. Good hunting._

“Copy that.”

Islamabad was in view and they were dropped in. Jackson jumped out and met up with other teams, calling out, “Alright mates, we’ve got enemy VTOLs heading into our AO. Get those rockets set up.”

No one questioned Jackson, accepting that he was Section’s rep on the ground. Whatever he said might as well have come from Section. It was a bit presumptuous, but it worked out mostly. They teams were set up to keep an eye out for Zhao’s VTOL. They ha to get him before he set up shop in Moscow or they were totally screwed.

_I’ve got visual on enemy VTOLs._

Jackson turned and peered through his viewfinder to confirm. “Copy that. Get ready. We’ve only got one shot at this.”

_Roger that._

Jackson watched the VTOLs come within range. He signaled for them to fire. He watched as two were blown out and one, Zhao’s, was hit. He called it in, “Kraken good impact. Zhao’s VTOL is coming down.”

_Copy. Push to the crash site and ensure Zhao is KIA._

“Understood. All teams moving out.” Jackson pulled up his rifle and signaled his team to move. He relayed, “All teams, push to crash site. Target needs to be KIA.”

The teams pushed forward. With the limited prep they had, they were operating below the usual. Nothing Jackson hadn’t dealt with before. It just made the mission more challenging. Moving through the city was like going through a maze. Buildings were various levels and there were lots of blind corners; the kind of thing that would allow for enemy soldiers to lay in wait.

_Just receiving word that Zhao has activated his emergency protocols. Expect heavy resistance._

Jackson rolled his eyes and he took out an enemy ASD. “No shite,” he muttered as he pushed forward. It looked like Zhao was going to do his best not to get captured.

_Eagle down._

Jackson shook his head in frustration. He could hear fire from all sides. It had him wonder if there were friendlies to Zhao hidden in the city and they were helping out. True they were in pretty much SDC territory. It was Pakistan after all, but he was hoping that the people would be too afraid to come out since they were all sporting heavy firepower.

_Fresh troops on deck._

“Push forward to crash site. Watch top and deck,” Jackson relayed as he moved to take out a turret that had been set up. He took cover when something or someone took a shot at him. He pressed his back against the wall and heard the bullets whizzing by and chunks of plaster and wood went flying. He waited until they paused and them came out and fired again, taking out an enemy soldier before moving further up.

His team was spread out along their line of attack. Other teams were doing the same, coming from other directions. The best thing since it would allow for one of their own to get through. They just had to play it safe, so they didn’t shoot their own guys. More bullets whizzed by and he ducked. He heard another turret going off followed by return fire and an explosion.

_Confirmed. Enemy turret down._

That was good. Automated turrets were the worst depending on which model you have and their settings. Jackson had seen them set to detect any movement and what happened. Since it tracked movement, you might as well be in the sights of a tracker drone. At least they took you out before you got to run. With the turret… cut to ribbons. Well it wasn’t that much different, but still…

_Got a teammate bleeding out._

_Fresh troops deployed. ETA three mikes._

Jackson gritted his teeth. They had no air support. Just boots on the ground. No drones. No ASDs. There was an option to hack one, but it was a little hard trying to do it while it was shooting at you. Still it was an idea as Jackson signaled to move up. Bullets whizzed by as he and his team moved up what felt like inches.

Their pace was slow. Not because they were taking a stroll, but if they wanted to get to the down VTOL, they couldn’t rush it. Especially with the enemy’s emergency protocols activated. So, it was a relatively slow push even though they were gaining ground faster than what would seem normal. Besides, it was better to do slow and steady. Less chance of losing teammates. They were all aware that they were on a time crunch, but Jackson aimed to achieve mission objective with most amount of SEALs still standing.

They moved forward again, and Jackson found himself what looked like a garage. Maybe it was one of those marketplace stores where it is open space and the tables shifted to best display wares. He didn’t know and didn’t care. At the moment, the place was providing cover from two ASDs and a couple of enemy ground troops that were firing on him. Well it seemed like they were targeting him since he didn’t see them shooting at anybody else.

They went down but there were some losses. Some members of the other teams went down neutralizing the threat. It had Jackson shake his head as he gave orders to push forward. They made it closer but there were two turrets and a bunch of ASDs guarding the downed VTOL. His team was going to get pinned down and eventually put down with that firepower.

Huddling behind a barricade, Jackson surveyed the surrounding area and took a moment to inventory his loadout. He had a few grenades that might help. What he really needed were a couple of rockets. He radioed, “Hey Banks. You still got your rockets?”

_Affirmative._

“Alright, I need you to put concentrated fire to take out the ASDs. Anyone else with a rocket and in position near target, take out the ASDs.”

_Copy that._

“Take it away Banks.”

_Firing one._

It was a series of rockets that looked like something out of a sky performance as anyone with a rocket took aim at the ASDs. They hit roughly in the same area, taking out most of them. Jackson gave the signal for the teams to move up and mop up. That left any infantry and the turrets. Those were dispatched and allowed for them to dig in near the VTOL.

Jackson signaled and pointed, “Set up the EMP device.”

Two SEALs moved in and signaled, “Confirmed device has been set.”

“Alright ya buggers,” Jackson shouted, “Dig in and protect the EMP no matter what.”

There was a collective grunt as the remaining SEALs took position and continued cover fire on enemy infantry and ASDS being sent in. They had the site secured. Now they just needed to hold it. The enemy was redoubling their efforts to stop them, and he signaled for the men to use any grenades to keep back the enemy from the perimeter.

They had less than a minute before the charge would go off. For boots on the ground with the enemy firing on you, a minute seemed like an eternity. That was the job though and Jackson aimed to finish it. He lifted his gun and took out infantry that tried to come out of a kitty corner and flank them. “Not this time, mate,” he muttered.

“EMP charge successful!”

Jackson glanced to see it and said, “Alright, moving to target.” He signaled his team to move in while the others maintained cover fire.

_Confirmed enemy VTOL security is down. Take out Zhao._

Jackson slung down his rifle and pulled out his pistol as the doors opened. He marched up and shot at two of Zhao’s men that tried to make a last stand. They went out with a bullet to the brain. Then he turned his sights on Zhao, raising his pistol.

Zhao came slowly. It was clear on his face that he was done for and he wasn’t going to do anything about it. Normally, Jackson would have accepted a surrender, but he was under orders and Zhao didn’t offer his surrender. He leveled his pistol and looked at the man in the eye. The man said something, and Jackson pulled the trigger.

Zhao went down like a sack of potatoes. Jackson moved forward keeping his gun at the ready to confirm death. Looking down, he radioed in, “Mission success. Target confirmed dead. I repeat, target confirmed dead.”

_Copy. Ensure photos and site exploitation are complete and move to extraction site._

Jackson signaled his team and took a confirming photo of death. “Copy that. We got ‘em, Section.”

_Get your ass back home, Jacks. Well done._

Jackson turned to supervise the last instructions. It was then that he felt a sting on his brow. He touched a finger to his brow and it came away with blood. He snorted a bit as he rubbed it dry. Not every mission made you come out nice and pretty. Now it was up to Section and his guys to finish it.


	13. Chapter 13

“Another mission down and it looks like Crumpets worked out,” Harper said, making a joking remark about Jackson since he was a Brit.

“Jacks knows what he’s doing,” David conceded, accepting the pat on his back. He grinned at Harper to show that he wasn’t put out by the reference and Jackson had been called worse and by his own countrymen.

Harper slung his arm around David’s neck and pressed, “So… how was it?”

“How was what?”

“You know. With Sombra?”

David figured that this was going to come up. It was nobody’s business, and nothing did happen. Well, nothing that would get Harper excited. He wasn’t even sure what did happen except that he was certain he liked Torres, and he took the time to take a good look at her. He replied, “Nothing. Went to see the old man.”

“Figured out what you needed?”

“Something like that.” David was still thinking abut the fact that Torres was Panamanian by birth and she had been a child during the invasion. He was not one to think about coincidences; that he should meet a woman who had been there, and her parents had been involved with the State Department. And he wasn’t willing to entertain the notion that Torres was playing him or anyone. Spectre’s recommendation got her in the door. She did the rest.

“Probably more for Spectre’s scrapbook.”

“Torres knows plenty. Just clearing up a few things and she might see something we missed.” It was a lame answer and David knew it.

Harper wasn’t fooled, but let his friend have it, “Well must be something since Sombra went to report to Spectre and hasn’t come back yet. Not even there for Crumpets.”

It was true. Torres had gone to report to Spectre and David had been whisked to be briefed for the strike force mission to kill Zhao. He hadn’t seen her since and he wondered what was up. It occurred briefly that he missed having her around even if she was tuning everyone else out while working on her tablet. David accepted it. It wasn’t like he had claim to her time even if Spectre assigned Torres to his team. Without his say so and it was like she knew he wasn’t going to have much to complain about. Still, he felt a little proprietary. He just had to be patient.

Knowing that Harper needed an answer, David replied, “Torres has a job to do for Spectre. She’s not military.”

“Still, Sombra’s one of us.”

“About that, why that?” David frowned as he looked at Harper.

“Cause,” Harper shrugged, “She’s our shadow.” At the look David shot him, he explained, “She’s shadowed our moves and at Anthem, the way she tracked and watched our backs… you gotta admit, I’d rather have her in my corner no matter what.” He checked his watch, “Well better go. Gotta go check in on Egghead.”

“Alright. Take care.” David gave a pat to Harper’s shoulder. He waited until Harper left before moving on.

He was met by Salazar and they exchanged a brief nod before heading to where Karma had been working on the Celerium worm since they brought her back to the Obama. David blinked when he found Karma sitting and Torres leaning over pointing out a few things and holding that tablet of hers. Until now, he suspected she had been with Spectre. He had forgotten that Torres knew things about software and had hacker skills.

David stepped forward, “Did you do it?”

Karma glanced over at Torres, who stood up and tapped on her tablet, and then back at her screen, tapping a few keys, “I’m in.”

“Fucking A, sister.”

“It’s not that simple,” Torres said.

“It’s true,” Karma confirmed, “Right before I quit Tacitus, I created a Celerium WORM which could decrypt anything. Quantum shit don’t crack this easy… even for me.”

Torres tapped on her tablet as the access was granted. She made a few swiping motions and the data came up. “Raul Menendez’ network. All the countries being screwed by the New Cold War.” She looked at the SEALs that had come in.

The screen showed the globe along with what Menendez named as potential targets. David studied it and noticed a few things, “Wait a minute… New York, D.C., the Pentagon… Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong…”

It became clear as to what was going on. David felt his eyes widen as he pointed out, “Menendez is gonna attack America and China, taking out both superpowers at the same time.”

“What better way to take out your enemies,” Torres mused. “Or better yet, set them on a collision course to mutual destruction.” She studied the map until the data shifted to the individual files. She tapped on her tablet to record the data.

David nodded at Torres’ assertion. He studied the screen more and noticed something. “Look, all those files have the same prefix. 6-1-9… 6-1… Six nineteen…” David thought about it some more and then he recalled something he heard when he was gathering intel at Anthem. It then hit, “Oh my God. June nineteenth… that’s…”

“That’s tomorrow,” Torres said as she looked at the two SEALs.

“Junio dicenueve,” Salazar said, “Freedom Day. The abolition of slavery.”

“Also known as Juneteenth,” Torres said softly. She looked at the screen, “The day when slavery was abolished in Texas and more generally the emancipation of slaves throughout the confederacy.” She hummed to herself and muttered in Spanish that made her sound like a fussy old woman. She shook her head. “Irony at its best… considering the claim we are slaves to technology.”

David looked at Torres and then at the others. Maybe it was irony, but it fit with everything Menendez had done so far, and he could rely on Torres to give a historical perspective. He shook his head, “That son of a bitch. Get me Briggs.”

Torres took care of the transmission since she had authorization. She tapped on her tablet and Briggs came on the screen. “You’re on.”

“Admiral, the cyber-attack is 6/19, tomorrow.”

_We have to move on Yemen right away. No, you have to go in there, capture Menendez for interrogation._

“It’s a tr…”

_You contact Farid and the Yemeni militia, we need their help._

“Admiral, it’s a trap.”

“Section is right, Admiral,” Torres concluded. It was probably dumb to do this, but since she had Spectre’s backing it might have some leeway. “Menendez has been playing us the whole time. All of his moves to this point have been deliberate and with a purpose.”

“If we move on Yemen, that’s exactly what he wants us to do,” David finished. He ignored the fact that Torres entered into the conversation. Maybe it would help.

_You get your team together. You got two hours._

“Admiral,” Torres pleaded one last time. “You are making a mistake. This is the kind of thing Spectre warned us about.”

_And you should know how to follow orders, Agent Torres. You are going after Menendez._

Torres would have said something more, but David put his hand on her shoulder to get her to stop. The admiral wasn’t going to budge and if Spectre wasn’t around, it would be pointless. He said, “Aye, sir.”

The transmission cut out and Torres growled in frustration, “This is stupid!”

“We have orders, Sombra,” Salazar pointed out. He would have said more but David cut him off and motioned for him to get the team ready. It was a good thing because Torres ended up throwing her tablet across the room in frustration.

“I’ll go check on…” Karma left not really citing a reason, leaving David and Torres alone.

David cleared his throat and took a step forward, “It’s nothing personal, Torres.”

“It’s sheer stupidity. That’s what it is,” Torres replied as she stomped, and paced trying to not take out her frustration on David. “Even Spectre wouldn’t make this move.”

“And Briggs isn’t Spectre.”

“But he should respect her. At least I thought he did.”

“He does,” David offered as he took a couple of steps forward. He shrugged his shoulders, knowing that what he was going to say wasn’t really going to cut it. “But this is his command. He makes the decisions.”

“I know chain of command, David,” Torres sputtered angrily. “I have a brother serving.”

“And you told me that.” David got closer. He was well aware he was within her personal space, but she seemed too angry to care about that at the moment. He was ready though to diffuse the possible detonation if it came to that. “So, you know that we have to obey regardless.” Being daring, he reached out and gently grabbed her upper arms and continued, “And the exception doesn’t apply.”

“It should for stupidity,” Torres muttered as she looked downward, feeling like a berated child. She was well aware of David’s hands on her and it helped calm her down. She sighed and looked up at him, “This is not going to end well. I’m sure you are aware that the militia doesn’t know Farid is on our side in order to maintain cover.”

“Risk he took when he took the assignment.” David looked downward at her, staring into her hazel green eyes as she stared back. “Is it any different with you here?”

Torres scoffed at that, “I’m here to save your collective asses.” She gave a gentle thump to where he had been hit by DeFalco’s shot. She looked up and saw the seriousness in his eyes and relented, “But I get your point. I just don’t like seeing life wasted.”

“And you should know being with Spectre that sometimes the best laid plans need contingency.”

Torres nodded at that, “You’re right. Thing is I don’t see it. I don’t think Spectre got this far.” She swallowed slightly and looked up at David, “When we got back, and I briefed her, she looked distracted, like she didn’t expect this. The only time I saw this was when Menendez got close to an undercover op. She was worried the cover would be blown.”

“You’re talking about Singapore. You weren’t even working with her then.”

“And I told you I had to read the dossiers. I saw the AARs and the body cam footage.”

David sighed at that and then replied, “The truth is that we uncovered the larger plan at stake. That was why Spectre was distracted. She figured it out and it terrified her. Unfortunately, we had to get out before we were caught. Then that’s where you get those stories.” He absently rubbed his thumbs on her arms. “So, you see, Spectre is well aware of what is going on. It’s her gift and curse to see the world in a larger picture. It’s why she’s so insistent that even when we have a big thing happening, the world doesn’t stop turning.”

“There are others waiting to step in,” Torres added in a nod. She was aware David was rubbing her shoulders and it was soothing. It was doing the trick of soothing her temper. She sighed, “Maybe I should’ve stayed on protection detail or in banking. This is…” She made a sound and gave a lopsided grin.

David chuckled and grinned, “Nah. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have you following me around like my shadow… Sombra.”

Torres snorted at that and they chuckled. She pursed her lips in a smile before saying, “And I never thought you’d pick up on it.”

“Harper knows how to pick ‘em.”

“True.”

They laughed again before David asked, “So… are you going to do this with us? With me?”

Torres knew what he meant. It was the team he was talking about and the fact that they already went through a lot since this started. She looked up and grinned, “Wouldn’t miss it.”

David was pleased with the answer, but he wished it was something more. He was well aware he meant more by adding himself to that question, but it wasn’t like he could deny it. The months working on this… Still, they had work to do and he would keep it that way and respect her wishes too. “Come on. Saddle up.”

****

“Cordis Die!”

Spectre listened to the men chanting and looked up to see Raul Menendez on stage, raising his arms and egging the crowd on. She saw his guards on stage and she spotted Farid. Since going undercover, he had worked his way up the ranks and it seemed that Menendez trusted him.

“So that bastard is the one bringing the whole world to shite?”

Spectre glanced at her companion and gave a wry look. “He has been bringing the shit for years, Bug. Things are coming to a head.”

They had arrived in Yemen after she made her excuses and her conversation with her contact. She suspected Menendez was going to strike. She had the data from Torres and what the SEALs collected, and she predicted that Briggs was going to move in on Yemen. The risk was high though and could compromise Farid.

She didn’t doubt the undercover though. She did worry that the operation Briggs was planning would play right into Menendez’ hands. She wasn’t a shrink, but she had a profiler on payroll and she read the analysis and figured it into her larger works. What she saw… there was cause to worry. It was why she was in Yemen and with someone she trusted the most.

“You know Ghost is spitting like a mad cat, mate.”

“I know,” Spectre replied as she adjusted her hijab. It was how she blended in and Menendez’ men thought she was one of them since she said all the right things. “But after being shot and the damage to his knee…”

Roach put his hand on her shoulder, “He knows, Ryan. But he’s always been protective of you next to the Major.”

Spectre snorted at that. It was risky to use a 141 member, but they were the ones she trusted the most. They knew the stakes and they trusted her and her methods of madness. “Maybe to your own end,” she teased just as a VTOL came into view. “Looks like it’s starting.”

It certainly did as one of Menendez’ men took out the VTOL with a rocket grenade. The bird went down as others moved in position to drop in their troops. She tapped Roach, “Come on. Show is starting.”

They started moving towards the city. Yemeni militia and terrorists were shooting at each other. It was a wonder they weren’t shot at since they could be mistaken for either and it wasn’t like they would care if there were civilians in the midst. Then again, they were pretty well armed for civilians. Roach watched their six as they moved through.

Spectre paused to take cover. She listened to the conversation between Harper and Farid. One of the things she made sure of was have Addy tap into the comm systems of the American forces when they went out on ops. It was how she was in tune with what happened, and she almost had a heart attack when she heard that David had been shot. She heard the communication between Harper and Farid and she voiced, “Menendez will be heading to the Citadel. We need to get there first.”

“Are we taking him out?”

“They will want to interrogate him.”

“Think its better to just shoot the bastard.”

“Don’t remind me of Rio,” Spectre teased a little. “But they will want to know his game plan. There still is the Celerium and the files that Karma would have decrypted by now.”

“And you’ve already done it.”

Spectre gave a wry look at Roach before moving forward. She had a pistol out and firing only when they were being fired upon. Maybe it was Providence that they were not engaging with the militia, but they weren’t going to take it lightly. They had to make it to the Citadel.

“So, what are we going to do once we get there.”

“You’ll take the shot. Wound only.”

“Figures. Why not have Mac on this?”

“Another mission.”

There was a chuckle and Spectre rolled her eyes. She knew that it was a joke that she referred to taking care of their children as a mission. It really was since they were rascals at times. Mostly it was with their father. They knew better than to cross their mother. It amused the senior members of the 141 and only cemented the joke that she was the OIC no matter what.

They pushed their way to the Citadel with Spectre listening to the radio chatter. They only ran into a few terrorists and a couple of militia along the way. With the militia, they left them with nonfatal wounds and pressed on. Terrorists went down. It was the best they could do.

_You said Menendez was headed for the Citadel. What’s the quickest route out of the city?_

_The west gate leads to a mountain path on the outskirts._

_Get there. We’ll regroup when our VTOLs are in the AO._

Spectre signaled and it was clear Roach heard it as well. They adjusted their route accordingly. They managed to make it and climbed up. Even though she was older, she was still spry and in pretty good shape. She and Roach climbed up to the rooftops. From their they could avoid the fire fight on the streets. Less chance of them getting involved and killing someone that was supposed to be on their side.

_Dammit. He must have slipped through Yemeni lines._

Spectre blinked and tapped her ear, “Addy, are you operational?”

_Affirmative S064._

“Search for HVT primary. Menendez.”

_Copy. Target acquired. Pulling up to view map along with route for best over watch._

Spectre saw the route on the glasses she was wearing, and Roach signaled he had it. “Good job Addy. Patch in coordinates to Harper.”

_Copy._

They hoofed it to the overwatch and Roach pulled out his rifle to set up. Spectre pulled out the rifle she had been carrying and locked and loaded to cover. They had to be quick if they took the shot. She got down and peered down and zoomed in. She caught sight of Menendez, “Target acquired, two degrees to your right.”

“Got him.”

“Hold.”

“Copy that.”

_I’m seeing movement in the streets below._

_No shit,_ Spectre thought to herself as she watched Menendez stand there with a rocket launcher. She then saw Farid burst through the doors. “We’re on. Hold until given the order.”

“Okay, Ryan.” Roach shook his head. He had the HVT in his sights and he had a path for wounding and one for killing. He would follow Spectre though and go for wounding.

_Victory is not measured by losses, Farid… It is measured by gains._

Spectre heard the call and watched as Harper’s VTOL get shot down. She swallowed since she was certain that this was all part of Menendez’ plan. She watched them haul Harper out. He was alive and relatively unharmed, and he was spitting mad as they dragged him before Menendez.

“Ryan, do I have a shot. You are seeing this right?”

“We can’t compromise Farid,” Spectre said through gritted teeth as she saw Menendez hold a gun out to Farid.

“Fuck that. He’s telling him to kill one of ours.”

“It’s a test, Bug. Much like with Shepherd.”

Spectre heard the growl as Roach steadied himself. His finger was still on the trigger, but he wasn’t going to shoot. It was a bit of a low blow, but sometimes the past helped in keeping the present squared away. Even if it was a pain in the ass.

Spectre knew though that Farid was loyal. He was loyal to the country he served and the friends he made. She sensed he was going to shoot Menendez. The unpredictable thing was what would Menendez do. Her breath hitched when the shot rang out and Farid fell back. She chewed her lip and then said, “Roach, when you have a shot. Shoot to wound. Preferably the leg.”

“Roger that.”

Spectre watched as Raul ranted about Farid’s betrayal. She didn’t urge Roach to take the shot. He would set and do what he had to do. She trusted that. When Menendez pulled the trigger that delivered the fatal shot to Farid, Roach took it. She saw it hit but couldn’t confirm.

_S064 incoming. Get out!_

Spectre turned to see an RPG heading their way. She tapped Roach and shouted, “RPG, go!”

They ran to the edge and took a leap. It was followed by an explosion behind them and the sounds of debris falling.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some Spanish phrasings and all are courtesy of Google Translate. I didn't translate all of them just to keep suspense.

“Harper. Harper! Do you copy?” Torres cocked her head as she tried to listen for any response from Harper. She shook her head, “Nothing,”

“Dammit! Something’s wrong.” David tapped in, “Kraken, Linebacker two. Engaging enemy forces en route to downed bird. Push available video of crash to my HUD.”

“Taking enemy fire from the rooftops!” Torres pointed out.

David got on the minigun and turned to aim and fire. They had to deplete the enemy enough to get in and assess damage. He also kept an eye on the camera footage. He spotted Menendez on the run. “Kraken, we got eyes on Menendez. Moving to capture.”

“Hickam, ISR is your gig. Keep an eye on HVT,” Torres added as she aimed out to fire at enemy combatants.

_Copy that. Target acquired and tracking. Information is sent to yours and the Commander’s HUDs._

“Thanks, Hickam,” David said as he fired the minigun to clear the area near the downed bird.

_My job, Commander._

Nothing was said as the ropes were dropped. It never occurred to David to ask if Torres knew how to rope in. It was a little late now, but it turned out that he didn’t have to worry. She followed him down like she had done it before and had her rifle up ready to cover and took point towards the bird where they spotted Harper lying there.

“Harper,” Torres went down on her knee to check him. “Come on and show me that ugly face.”

Harper responded, and it would have been a funny moment. It did help though, and he looked at his team, “Menendez… The son of a bitch is headed for the Citadel.”

David nodded and signaled, “Arrange medevac extraction to get Harper back to the Obama.”

“Section, the bastard is wounded,” Harper added as he grabbed onto Torres’ sleeve. “Sniper.”

Torres tapped in and asked, “Hickam pull up surveillance when bird was downed.”

_Got it. Feeding it to you now._

David took a moment to study the vid. He watched as the shot came in and zeroed in. “Oh my God. Spectre.”

Looking around, they saw the damage caused by an RPG. David swallowed, holding back the worst thought that was rolling in his mind. And after he told Torres that Spectre saw things differently. “Spectre was here.”

Torres had seen the damage and started replaying the footage. “I got nothing. No sign if they are alive.” She swallowed and said, “We have to stay on target objective, Section. Capture HVT.”

David took a couple of breaths. Torres was right, and he knew that it had to be just as hard on her. It was the job. Spectre knew that and he had to hold on to the thought that she had contingency. He nodded, “Right. Salazar. Sombra, with me.” He signaled for the medic to get Harper out.

Torres nodded and locked and loaded. She didn’t really think Spectre was dead. After that pep talk on the Obama, she was ready to think that Spectre planned it to give Menendez a certain kind of impression. “Copy, that.”

_Salazar on primary SAT. Multiple Eagles down. Request immediate medevac. LZ Sparrow._

“Kraken, I need to assume OPCON of the drone fleet in support of capture of Menendez,” David issued as he and his team pushed towards the Citadel. There would be time later to investigate and find his friend. He was not looking forward to that call if he had to make it.

_Sending codes to your display. Drones re-tasked to your objective._

“Kraken allow AI Hickam access to secondary drones. Authorization Sierra Papa 0-6-4 beta,” Torres called. Normally Hickam would assume control, but this time it paid to play nice.

_Authorization accepted, AI is OPCON._

Torres nodded and said, “Hickam, maintain surveillance of Menendez with secondaries.”

_Copy that. Maintaining surveillance and ready to engage on say so._

Torres signaled the go for David and he nodded. He used his display to direct the quad drones to attack Menendez’ men as they pushed towards the Citadel. They ran up some stairs and came to a courtyard like area. They were taking heavy fire from Menendez’ men.

“Split up. Take the high ground!” David signaled at Salazar.

Torres took cover and peered around the edge. She sighed and shook her head, trying to shake off the fact that Spectre might be dead. She had to be firm for David’s sake, but she felt like she was faltering. Taking a deep breath and pushing it back she came out and fired.

_Sombra, I need you on overwatch._

Torres glanced over to where David was positioned. He turned and gave a harsh nod to confirm his order. She gave a return nod and looked for a position that would be advantageous. Of course, she would have to fight her way there, but it would help out with the quad drones. Seeing a path, she maneuvered to have the best way of making a break for it and took off.

She managed to get into one of the buildings and make her way to the top floor. From there she would be able to gain roof access. It appeared that some of Menendez’ men had the same idea. She pushed forward and took out anyone that tried to stop her.

_The whole street is a kill zone._

That spurred her to move faster. She needed to be up high to take out the threat. She managed to make it to the top of one building and switched her rifles. She almost wanted to laugh since Harper and Salazar made sure that a sniper rifle was part of her loadout. It said a lot about them and their acceptance of her on the team.

Taking a position, she spotted some enemy and commed, “Section, target the drones to the tall building at your three. Large group of tangos.”

_Copy. Deploying now._

Torres shifted her attention to the rooftops and started picking off the men that were firing downward towards the street. She signaled, “Salazar, take the left and Section take the right. Use the drones and watch crossfire.”

_Who died and made you boss?_

“The guy who said he needed overwatch,” she muttered with a grin as she took out another tango. This one was wielding an RPG launcher. Didn’t need that.

_And you got the easy pickings. Right Sombra?_

“Oh, I’m in the thick of it Salazar,” she replied as she took a shot. “Looks like they’re pulling back.”

David had made his way into one of the buildings that the enemy had holed up in and cleared it. There was a lot of firepower there and it was clear that they were out for blood. He turned when a shot rang out and saw a body fall forward. He looked around and thought he saw the glimpse of a rifle on the rooftops. He gave a hand signal and kept going.

Pushing forward, he saw what Torres was reporting. He relied on it since she was up high, and he was groundside. She had a good view and he was impressed at her ability to call out tactical positions. Looking he saw Menendez’ men moving back towards the Citadel. “Kraken, we believe Menendez is heading for the Citadel. Push all available assets to that grid. Establish blocking positions cutting off their escape.”

As an afterthought, David commed, “Hickam, use secondaries to help with blocking. You have control of drones in your sector.”

_Copy that, Commander. HVT is on the move and it looks to confirm target is the Citadel. Moving into position now._

They continued to push forward. David kept an eye out for Torres since it seemed that Menendez’ men got wise to the fact that they were being picked off from the rooftops. At one point he heard her curse when a rocket got close. He asked, “Torres?”

_Sonofabitch. I’m good. I’m okay._

A shot rang out and David looked around before ordering, “Change positions. They’re targeting you.”

_They’re targeting all of us, Section. I’m good. I got the bastard anyway._

David rolled his eyes. “Fine. Don’t do anything stupid.”

_Of course. We don’t deal in stupid._

It was meant to be a pep talk and David knew it. Spectre was the same way. She didn’t tolerate stupid and made it clear. It wasn’t pretty when she did. David shifted his focus to pushing forward. By then Salazar had joined with him and they made their way to the gate that led to the Citadel. “Hickam, I need updates on the blocking positions and Menendez.”

_Enemy forces have formed a perimeter around the Citadel._

_Confirmed, sir. They’re dug in._

_The HVI appears to be inside the downed command VTOL. We are receiving heavy fire from its minigun._

“Maintain eyes on, but do not engage. We need him alive.”

“If he’s still alive.”

David jumped when he heard Torres close by. “Dammit, Sombra.”

Torres gave a halfhearted apologetic shrug. She lifted her gun and fired at a combatant that was coming through the door. He went down like it was nothing. She teased, “Yeah you need a shadow to watch and save your ass.”

David wanted to scowl at her but didn’t. It was spur of the moment and he rolled with it, “Didn’t know that my ass entertained the little shadow. See something you like?”

Torres snorted and was glad that the flush of her cheeks from battle hid the blush. That was completely out of the blue and she was surprised he did that. Then again, she supposed she deserved that since she said something about watching an ass. She decided to play, “Maybe… maybe not.”

David snorted a chuckle as he followed her. He knew he unnerved her. It was completely out of nowhere for him and he couldn’t resist. She set it up and he took it. He walked right by her and muttered loud enough to hear, “At least my view is pretty good.”

Nothing more was said as they started breaking through the perimeter. David knew he was going to get it later from Torres. She would expect that kind of thing from Harper not him and no doubt she was going to make him pay.

_Commander, enemy has quad drones inbound. Re-tasking quad drones to engage._

“Hickam, without the drones we have no support to cover our advance.” Torres had her head twisted to hear the response over the coms as she pointed out the obvious.

_Kraken is chopping a containment team to support. They’ll fast rope insert and link up at the bridge._

Torres looked at David and Salazar, “Better than nothing.”

It was, and David nodded before signaling for them to move forward. They made it to the bridge just as the VTOL with troop support moved in. He could see the men fast roping in and Salazar confirming they were on deck and moving in. The three of them followed suit and started pushing across the bridge to the target area.

_Sir, five man team to cover your movement to HVT._

David was on the ground, taking cover by a rock. Salazar was on his left flank and he could see Torres on his right. She was wincing from the debris flying up as she looked for targets to take a shot at.

_We’ll pick up rear security. Once you locate Menendez, we’ll make the grab._

The downed VTOL was just up ahead and there was a lot of heavy fire going on. David could make out the other SEALs taking position around the VTOL, taking cover and returning fire to draw it away to allow others into position. He relayed, “Surround the VTOL. Wait for the go.”

_Understood._

It was a final charge as David took the lead up the path. It was probably stupid since there were a bunch of tangos there, but he was covered. Torres had stuck close and added support fire until they were down. The only thing left was getting into the VTOL and the door was slowly opening.

Torres watched with concern as David marched forward shouting, “Menendez!”

The man was sitting there, like he was expecting them. Immediately, she thought about this whole operation and an uneasy feeling came over her as David ordered his men to secure the prisoner. He was bleeding from the shoulder and it was a nonfatal. So, it looked like Spectre got a shot off after all.

“Thank you, David,” Menendez was saying. “Help me seek a newer world.”

From Torres’ view, it looked like David was going to take out his anger and pain on the man. Maybe it was rightly deserved, but she knew that it wouldn’t change things. She couldn’t help but blurt out, “A enemigo que huye, puente de plata.”

It caused David to shift and look at her and it drew the attention of Menendez. Torres didn’t flinch and looked straight on at the man. Something compelled her to not back down and she let him look at her as if he were trying to place where it was from. Silence filled the room as Menendez was taken for extraction. Torres watched with a tense expression as if daring the man to challenge her. Her gaze then lighted on David and he was staring at her and it didn’t look good.

****

“Interesante que digas eso, pequeña.” There was a clink of metal as the cuffs clinked from being moved in an almost nonchalant manner.

Torres didn’t say anything, but she could understand every word. She was fluent in Spanish among a few other languages. It was her primary along with English. Family get togethers were always in Spanish. English only allowed if her brothers brought along a friend who didn’t know. They claimed it was to keep her in practice since she had only been four when the family left Panama and headed stateside.

She knew Menendez was talking to her since he wouldn’t dare call David a ‘little one’. The pet name made her feel uncomfortable and she did what she thought was best. And that was to ignore the man.

“Recuerdo a un hombre que solía decir eso,” Menendez kept speaking, his eyes never leaving Torres. “Pensé que ere leal a su país. Pero estaba equivicado.” He peered at her. “Te pareces a él.”

Torres swallowed at that. She looked at Menendez and found him staring at her. To most people it would have been intimidating. To her, it looked like he was searching for something. Recognition maybe. She couldn’t let that surface because she wasn’t even sure what the man was insinuating.

David watched Menendez and came to the conclusion that he didn’t like the man staring at Torres. He didn’t like the way he was staring and hated that Torres looked so jumpy that she might do something rash. His Spanish wasn’t the greatest, it sucked really, but he picked up the interest and familiarity that Menendez was using with her.

“No cometas el error de pensar que encontrarás un amigo,” Torres was saying with a firm look.

David would have liked Salazar to ask for a translation and no doubt the man would give it to him if he asked. He didn’t like being kept out of the loop on this especially since it agitated the woman that held his interest.

_The HVT has been stating that SPS064B reminds him of someone he once knew and that she looks like him._

David moved his head slightly when he heard Hickam in his earpiece. He watched to see if anyone else had heard and it became clear that he was the only one. He subvocaled, “Are you spying on us, Hickam?”

_Listening in. I have access to your comms and can talk to whoever and whenever I want. An upgrade from my predecessor who is still a child._

“Solo alguien que sea comprensivo hubiera dicho lo que acabas de hacer.”

“Solo para evitar que alguien haga lo incorrecto.”

David watched as Torres spoke firmly to Menendez before getting up to pace. More likely it was to get away from Menendez. Taking a breath, he told Salazar, “Keep an eye on him.”

“Got this Section. He got to Sombra,” Salazar whispered.

David wasn’t too sure about that as he got up and walked in the direction that Torres had taken. She was leaning against the bulkhead and looking deep in thought. There was no easy way to say it so he went with it, “You shouldn’t let Menendez get to you.”

Torres looked at David and replied, “I just don’t like insinuations.”

“You mean like him saying he might know you or… your father?” David took a guess since Hickam didn’t give a full translation. He gestured at his earpiece when he saw the look on her face, “Hickam.”

Torres growled slightly, “That AI is a fucking busybody.”

_Only when it comes to your family background._

David rolled his eyes slightly at that and saw Torres look like she wanted to rip the AI’s throat out. If he had one. He gave a dismissive gesture saying, “Don’t worry about it. I was wondering what was going on. My Spanish is shit and couldn’t really ask Salazar without making it obvious.”

Torres looked at David and a slight smile tore at her mouth. She really couldn’t blame him, and she teased, “And you call yourself a SEAL.”

“Not all of us come from other parts of the world,” he teased back. He sobered as he pressed, “But really Torres, what did he say that is getting to you. Did it have something to do with what you said when we caught him?”

Torres looked downward and pressed her tongue to her teeth. She replied, “It started it.” She cleared her throat and explained, “I was quoting a Spanish proverb. Papa used to say it all the time when he had trouble because of the color of his skin and his accent. It simply means that in order to get rid of something or someone, you… help them.”

“And Menendez recognized it.”

“Claims it.” Torres looked at Menendez, who was looking down at his hand. She then looked back at David and added, “I don’t like this David. I am somehow getting the feeling that Papa knew things and Menendez knows it and I didn’t know. This whole thing bugs me.”

David didn’t miss the fact that it was twice that she called him by name instead of his call sign. He didn’t know if she was aware of it or it was slip of the tongue. It sounded nice even if the first time she was kind of yelling at him. He replied, “We got him, Torres. It should be enough.”

Torres shook her head. “I don’t know.” She looked up at David. “I don’t know anymore.”

David had a few ideas what to do next and none of them were appropriate. So, he went with the next best thing. He put a hand on her shoulder and patted it. “Maybe he’s just messing with you since you know a proverb that he would know.”

“And the fact that I do have a resemblance to my father?” Torres looked at him, blinking slowly. “That much is true.” The slight shaking and announcement that the Obama was close took her attention for a moment. She looked at Menendez and then back at David. “Just be on your guard, David. And I hope you prove me wrong.”

David let her go as she left him to go back to her spot and get ready for disembarking. He thought that maybe she was turning a bit into Spectre, but he wasn’t going to discount it. He didn’t want to admit to the possibility that her father may have had a part in what happened in Panama and to his father. She did admit both her parents worked in the State Department among other things and it looked like she was still in the dark about it. Sighing, he turned to get ready as the announcement came in that they were landing.

Waiting on deck was Admiral Briggs and Secretary Petraeus. David knew that this whole operation was big. It spanned thirty years and thousands of lives; it was no wonder that they were there. David turned to see that Torres had fixed her hair to give some presentability and gestured her to follow. He exited first and held out his hand to Briggs, “Sir,” and then Petraeus, “Secretary.”

Torres did the same and received a knowing look from Petraeus. He had seen her before since she had been on presidential detail. She gave a respectful nod and stepped back as David signaled Salazar to bring out the prisoner. She watched as Menendez stepped down the ramp in leg shackles and looked like he was having trouble with it. His left shoulder was padded from the through and through he took and yet he was looking at her like a kind old soul would. It disturbed her.

Secretary Petraeus stepped forward, “President Bosworth sends her regards.”

Menendez studied the people staring at him. He gently smiled and looked at Torres, noting how David seemed to bristle as he said, “For those souls who have toiled, and wrought, and thought with me…” He shifted to glance at David, before looking back at Torres even though he was facing the others, “… some work of noble note may yet be done.”

David was trying hard not to overreact. He didn’t like how Menendez was looking at Torres and he didn’t like that she was trying to put up a brave front, but he could tell she was uncomfortable. It startled him because it wasn’t like he would do for other teammates. He was acting like… He banished the thought, but it lingered.

Briggs had stepped forward and looked at Menendez before saying, “Get this cocksucker off my flight deck.”

“Gladly, sir,” David replied and pushed on Menendez to get a move on.

Torres took a step back to let them pass. She watched as they led Menendez down to where the interrogation room was. Her attention was brought back to Secretary Petraeus when he held his hand out to her saying, “Good work, Agent Torres. Spectre said that you would be a big help in this.”

“Spectre?” Torres frowned.

“Yes. Spectre said something about you fitting pieces together. President Bosworth was proud to hear it since she misses you on her security detail.”

Torres gave a polite smile, “Tell President Bosworth that it was an honor.”

“I will. Keep up the good work.”

Torres watched as the secretary left with Briggs. She followed at a turtle’s pace trying to process everything that had happened. She still hadn’t even confirmed if Spectre was dead or alive. And yet she had to deal with Menendez. She could almost hear her mentor laughing because her sayings came to mind. Sighing, she started towards interrogation. If Menendez decided to continue their conversation at least she would translate for David.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some Spanish phrasings and all are courtesy of Google Translate. I didn't translate all of them just to keep suspense.

One of the things training with Spectre was that Torres had to learn interrogation. True she had initial training with Secret Service since she would be called to investigate, but she never really engaged in the interrogation used when US operatives detained HVTs like terrorists and the like. She was not a believer in torture since she was in agreement that it didn’t really work, but it seemed to work for Spectre.

She had read about an incident in Iran or Iraq and it involved the SAR of a group of Marines that had gone missing with precious cargo. Spectre had been tasked to find them along with another CIA operative named Harrison. The details were sketchy, but Spectre had told her that it was the only time that extreme interrogation worked with scary precision.

Torres almost wanted to snort when people asked the question on why someone so smart could be turned against their country and family. They didn’t understand the power of playing on emotions, the stick and carrot method. It was techniques that have been used to break hard core terrorists and they got more out them from that than physical torture.

She didn’t approve of Menendez’ agenda and methods, but she understood where he was coming from when he played upon the people’s misfortunes and directed them to a tangible target. People looked for someone to blame and it was made worse when you had places like Colossus in existence. So, she really wasn’t surprised that he had been able to turn over a billion people to his cause.

Staring through the glass, she studied the man sitting in the chair. Salazar was in there with him. It looked like it was going to be a good cop, bad cop routine or something like that. That could work, but she sensed that Menendez was a man with a plan.

_It’s good you do not talk. We can take our time._

Torres swallowed slightly when Salazar swung out with his fist. She had seen him sparring and knew he could pack a powerful punch. She wanted to shake her head at the futility of his actions. Menendez would not budge because the man punched him in the face.

_I will speak only to David Mason… and the little one. La peque_ _ña._

“Fat chance on that,” David’s voice entered.

Torres shifted to see that David had come to stand beside her. She took in his grim features. Normally, she would have retorted that he didn’t own her or something about the machismo that she knew and grew up with because of her brothers. She didn’t though. There was something about his stance that said he wouldn’t brook argument; something protective and it was directed at her.

_Bring them both to me. I will tell them everything. La peque_ _ña must have answers._

David shook his head. No way was he going to let Torres walk in there. “No way,” he muttered as his gaze lingered on her as she was watching the interrogation.

_David?_

“Sir?”

_Do it. Take Torres in._

David gritted his teeth. He would have broken one if he did it any harder. He didn’t want to do this, but he wasn’t one to disobey orders. Not after what he did with Torres when she tried to argue with the man. He had little choice and deep down, he knew that Menendez wouldn’t say anything unless she was there.

Stepping forward, he paused beside her and tapped her shoulder, “Come on.”

Torres blinked as David led the way to the door. She knew he didn’t want her in interrogation and that close to Menendez. She wondered at why the change and it occurred to her that Briggs told him to do it. Thinking about it, she was glad since she was about ready to tell David that she was going in. That would have ended in a fight and not help their cause.

_Identify. Mason, David. Retina scan confirmed._

Torres followed David into the brig, like a little shadow. Maybe Harper was onto something when he gave her the call sign. She almost ran into him when he stopped to look at Briggs.

“Do what you can. Both of you. I’ll be on the bridge,” Briggs was saying. His gaze lingered on her and Torres was struck with the feeling that he knew more than he let on as she watched him leave.

Following David in, she took a position in one of the corners while he picked up the chair and set it right. She blinked when Menendez wheedled, “David, where are your manners? Let la pequeña have the seat.”

“This is not a social call,” David grunted as he stared at the prisoner. “And I’m not a kid this time… but you can go ahead and try what you did back then.”

“And I will. But to the little one.” Menendez stared at David and leaned forward. “No puedes proteger lo que no es tuyo.”

Torres gritted her teeth and let out a breath. “It’s alright, Section. He wants to talk. Let’s just…” She moved to take the seat.

David reluctantly got up. He kept a stern look at Menendez as Torres sat down. He was well aware that Menendez said something about protecting something or someone. It was a dig at him. He didn’t need her to translate. He was silent as he stepped back but stayed within range to step in if needed.

Torres would have told him to back off but sensed that David was highly agitated, and they didn’t need that. Not now. Taking a breath, she folded her hands on the table like she was there were a polite meeting. She heard Salazar scoff at her posture and it didn’t help that she had taken her contacts out in favor of her glasses. She looked like a mousy accountant in ACUs. She looked at Menendez and said, “Now, you were saying something about telling us everything?”

Menendez couldn’t help but smile at her, “Opulence is sinful, my dear. And we all pay for it. Al que le van a dar, le guarden y si llega tarde, le calientan.”

Torres gave a slight smile and replied, “Bueno es el cilantro, pero no tanto.”

David was getting frustrated and didn’t like the familiarity that was going on. “Such a self-indulgent piece of shit… Stop talking in riddles!” He leaned on the table and pointed angrily at Menendez.

Torres put a hand on David’s elbow and gave a look for him to back off. “Section,” she added.

“Only making conversation. The little one knows the rules. Something she learned from her parents no doubt.” Menendez peered at her with an indulgent and knowing smile. He said to her, “Hay que saber pedir las respuestas. No?”

Torres still had her hand on David’s elbow. It seemed that it was the only thing that prevented him from getting out of hand with Menendez. She looked at the man as he sat there looking at her. Sighing, she asked, “Por qué o para quién estás hacienda esto? En inglés, por favor.”

Menendez looked at Torres with a kind smile. She was looking at him with a firm look and yet the softness of her voice and her request… Looking down he replied, “She was taken from me.” He looked up at David, “Do you know what that feels like yet?” He then looked at Torres and added, “Y tu pequeña?”

Torres blinked at Menendez. There was something about the way he said that and it felt off. Not frightening, but different. She hand put her hands back on the table and folded them, trusting David to not overreact. He seemed to be getting it and relaxed a little, but not a whole lot.

“An American torched the warehouse for money. Eleven thousand dollars. That was the value they placed on her life.”

Torres took in the swollen skin and the dried blood. It did nothing to mar the fact that Menendez was bitter, very bitter about what happened to his sister. She flexed her fingers slightly but kept them clamped together as she looked up and pointed out, “She was the reason for you to live.”

“Yes, little one,” Menendez countered, looking at her. “My everything. Igual que eras a tu padre.”

“Yo amaba a mi padre. Lo hizo todo por mí y por mis hermanos,” Torres replied more out of politeness since he was talking to her in Spanish. “Familia lo es todo. Family is everything.”

Menendez nodded in approval before looking at David. “What about you David? What drives you?”

David had allowed Torres to continue talking in Spanish. He figured that Menendez was trying to gain familiarity and they were talking about personal matters. At one point, he picked up the fact that the man was trying to get her to talk about her father. She responded and it frustrated him that he couldn’t readily understand what she was saying. Then Menendez directed the conversation to him and it had him thinking about what to say.

“Is it me?”

David stared at the man. Was it Menendez that drove him? Partially, yes. But not everything. He could say that it was because of what happened to his father, but he didn’t. His gaze shifted to Torres. She was sitting there with her hands folded on the table. It looked polite and he realized nonthreatening. She was trying to build rapport.

“Einstein said that the economic anarchy of capitalism is the real source of evil.” Menendez flexed his fingers but there wasn’t much he could do with his hands in cuffs. “You’re father… and his people… took Josefina from me.” He looked at Torres and added, “Y tu padre pequeño, amaba demasiado a su país. Pues… tu papa esta muerto.” He looked at David, “Your father is dead.”

Torres felt bile rise to her throat. Something was telling her that this man knew about the circumstances of her father’s death. And yet, it seemed he was also saying the same thing to David. That she knew much was true since Woods confirmed it. She suppressed the feeling and continued to listen. Menendez was speaking to her in Spanish and English to David, like he was addressing them separately and yet at the same time, with the same message.

“And his people…” Menendez paused before clenching his fist and leaning forward in David’s face. “Finished.”

Before David could say anything, he received a message from Briggs. Something was up and he responded, “Yeah. Go ahead, Admiral Briggs.”

_We have a situation. We’re tracking a passenger jet entering the Obama’s airspace…_

_SP064B, picking up unidentified signature._

Torres shifted slightly and tilted her head. She could hear Briggs in her ear as well as Hickam. She watched Menendez and the way he was sitting… something was telling her that something was happening. And it wasn’t good.

_Wait… What is that? Are those birds?_

“I mete and dole unequal laws unto a savage race.” Menendez looked at Torres and added, “Gato con guantes no caza ratones.”

David was the first to realize the gravity of the situation. “We’re under attack. We’re under attack!”

_There are hundreds of them! We’ve just lost the camera feed into the interrogation room. Secure Menendez! Meet me on the bridge!_

David looked up and saw that Torres was on her feet. He gestured at Menendez while speaking to Salazar, “If he so much as moves an inch, you a bullet in his brain. You got me?” He looked at Torres and said, “Torres, on me.”

Heading to the door, they put their hands out to steady themselves. Something hit the Obama and David was betting it was the attack. He pushed open the door shouting, “The Obama is under attack! Ensure no one leaves this room!”

Before anyone could acknowledge anything, the guard went down. David pulled his pistol as well as Torres. Turning about, he found Menendez holding Salazar hostage. He gritted his teeth as the man said, “You know I will not kill you, David. Nor the little one with you. But if you do not drop your guns, I will kill your friend.” The gun pressed against Salalzar’s temple as Menendez added, “You got five seconds to decide.”

David didn’t know how Menendez could get out of those cuffs. He wasn’t going to risk Salazar’s life. Not removing his eyes, he said, “Torres. Lower your weapon.”

Torres had her handgun pointed at Menendez and she was ready with a kill shot. She heard David tell her to lower it. She didn’t want to. It went against all her training and it agitated her, making her shake her head slightly as she lowered it but didn’t put it down. When David started doing the same, she lowered hers more and put it on the table and held her hands out.

“Put them on David and turn around. You stand there little one.”

David glared at Menendez as he put on the cuffs. Torres could make a move, but Menendez was relying on the fact that he had a friend hostage and was using that as leverage. Reluctantly he turned around and cast one last look at Torres. She was the last thing he saw before a shadow and then something hit him on the back of the head. He fell and saw darkness.

_David!_

****

_Commander. Commander do you copy?_

David winced, feeling like his head was in a vice grip. He tried to open his eyes, but the pain forced him to close them. He let out a small groan.

_Commander._

David winced again as he heard Hickam’s voice in his ear. He shifted and tried to open his eyes again. He tried to reach for his earpiece to acknowledge the AI and closed his eyes.

_Commander. Get up! SP064B is in trouble!_

_Torres…_

David forced his eyes to open and found that Salazar was trying to get him up and running. His head ached from the blow as he looked around. Slowly he got to his knees.

“Menendez has escaped.”

David rubbed a sore spot on his head. “What?”

Salazar repeated, “Menendez escaped. He has Sombra.”

It clicked on what his friend was saying. “Torres,” he muttered and scrambled to his feet. He staggered a little but forced himself to shake it off. He leaned against one of the bulkheads to steady himself. That bastard had Torres. He knew he shouldn’t have let her in. This was on him. “Torres.”

_PMCs used Glider Wings to launch a massive air assault on the Obama. They used stealth tech. Our guns only hit a fraction of ‘em._

_The assault is heavy, Commander. They are literally tearing apart the ship._

David grimaced from hearing two voices in his ear. Yet he was relieved that Harper was okay, and it was a relief that nothing happened to the AI. He took a deep breath as he continued to clear his head. “We need heavy firepower from the armory,” he said as he tapped his console.

“They killed the security detail guarding Menendez,” Salazar was saying as he assessed the situation. “Why would he take Sombra?”

David didn’t really know for sure, but it had to do with the way Menendez looked at her. And what he said… Mostly he was thinking about the expression on her face. He couldn’t pinpoint the emotion, but he didn’t like it. “I don’t know,” he muttered.

“Menendez couldn’t have done this alone. He must have men inside.”

That was the possibility. It would fit how Menendez has been a step ahead of them all this time. With the way things were, it could easily point towards Torres with all that Menendez spouted, giving the impression he knew her and her father. He didn’t believe it. Right now, though, they were under attack. They had to take back the Obama. “Right now, we have to focus on regaining control of the Obama.”

David picked out a primary and a secondary. He was worried about Torres, but he couldn’t do anything about it now. Not with the Obama under attack. But still… He tapped his earpiece, “Hickam, can you locate Torres?”

_Working on it, Commander. I’m also trying to take back control of the Obama systems. Right now, multiple tangos on all decks with heavy firepower._

“Thanks,” David replied as he locked and loaded. “Let me know when you find her.”

_Will do._

David had to rely on the AI for now. He hadn’t had much experience with Hickam, but if it was anything like Addy, then there was a chance. At least he had one eye on looking for Torres. Now he could focus on getting the Obama back. He walked towards the door, holding his weapon ready.

“Ready?”

David nodded at Salazar, “Go.”

The hallway was littered with damage, dead bodies and sailors trying to take back the ship against Menendez’ PMCs. He could hear Spanish being spoken rapidly as he brought his weapon up to return fire. He made a move only to be grabbed from behind and pulled to cover. It was barely in time to avoid being hit by the onboard turret. “Shit!”

_Section! The Obama’s automated security system’s now under enemy control._

“Where’s Briggs?”

_Server room. Lower deck._

David moved forward after taking out the turret. He signaled the gathering men to move up and head to the stairs. He commed, “Hickam!”

_Yes, Commander?_

“The Obama’s automated security system is under enemy control,” David ducked to avoid fire. He returned fire to by time. “Can you take it back?”

_Working on it. The problem is that the Obama’s systems are like their own person._

“Do what you can.”

_Copy. Of course, if Admiral Briggs is in the server room, a hard reset could rectify the problem._

That was usually the case. However, Hickam’s specialty was in cyber security systems. Maybe it was better that they try taking it back before getting to that point. “Can you try with your security protocols first?”

_Attempting possible methods Commander. Also maintaining surveillance to look for SP064B as probability is high that HVT Menendez is in close proximity._

“Do what you can, Hickam. Keep me informed.”

_Copy. Good luck, Commander._

They made it to the stairs and came to a decision. David signaled, “Salazar, get below and secure Briggs.”

“Got it.”

“Seal the server room doors. No one in or out.”

Salazar nodded, “This will be over soon. Good luck Section.”

David looked at his friend, “You too, Sal.”

“Find Sombra.”

David nodded before going up the stairs. Once there, he could see the deck littered with smoke and debris. It looked like it was going to be a hell of a time getting to the bridge. He signaled, “We have to get to the bridge. On me.”

_Commander, another wave of jet wings landing now. Deploying to take pressure off our men._

“Thanks Hickam,” David replied, “Harper, stay on that with Hickam. I’m heading to the bridge to try to shut down the automated systems from there.”

It was a continuous and hard push to the bridge. The decks were littered with PMCs and then the automated turrets were cutting down their men. It was much like being on Colossus with the automated systems recognizing anyone with a gun an enemy. And yet it wasn’t the same since the automated turrets were only aiming at his men.

_Commander, I recommend you hack into the individual systems. Use the access terminals and you can isolate the turrets from the main systems._

“Can’t you do that?”

_I’m trying to maintain defenses to keep pressure off the main deck and trying to search surveillance for HVT and SP064B._

David couldn’t argue with that. At least it was better than nothing. It did help and allow him to clear the last room to the bridge. There were still plenty of PMCs on the bridge that he had to take out and then get to the main terminal to try and shut them down. He led the charge and made it to the terminal and tried to shut it down, praying that the takeover wasn’t extreme and by some miracle Hickam did something. It was to no avail as he was locked out of the system. He commed, “Admiral Briggs, bridge control terminal is completely locked down.”

_We’re trying to gain access from the server room. I’ve seen revolutions come and go faster than this shit._

David started moving, “Menendez… always one step ahead. We need to find him.”

_Head to the security room. Techs should have the camera feeds back up soon._

“On my way.”

It was easy said than done especially with another automated security turret firing on them. He had to get Harper in to hack it and help out. It helped whittle down the numbers, but he couldn’t let his guard down. He saw sailors engaging with the enemy, some in hand to hand. They were doing everything to take back the ship.

_Section, we’re out of options. We’re at risk of losing the entire fleet. Our only chance is to reboot the entire system._

“That’s suicide. Hickam!”

_Section! Do you copy?_

“Briggs?”

_Communications have been cut. Trying to troubleshoot. Get to the security room Commander._

David didn’t argue. He pushed forward and managed to make it to the security room a little worse for the wear. The headache he had from being hit was a mere afterthought. He walked in and ordered the doors to be sealed. He walked to the tech, “Where are we on the security feed?”

“We should have it back up in a few minutes.”

_I can do better._

David shook his head and directed attention to a section of wall that he wanted cut. The hardest part was waiting. He didn’t waste a moment on facial recognition once the feeds were up. He said, “Run a facial recognition scan across the entire ship. We have to find Menendez. Make sure Torres is in the scans.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some Spanish phrasings and all are courtesy of Google Translate. I didn't translate all of them just to keep suspense.

The pops were loud, but Torres didn’t flinch. Her lip quivered as she felt the heat of the gun on her arm from where Menendez had it hidden. She couldn’t really spare a glance at the fallen soldiers they passed, but she did. Her throat convulsed from the fact that she was a prisoner and enabling their enemy.

She had watched as David had been struck from behind and the one behind it… She couldn’t do anything, and she suspected that she would have been killed had Menendez told his men not to touch her. Maybe she owed her life to the man then, but she didn’t sign up for this and yet she would not have the blood of soldiers on her hands if she didn’t do what she could.

Menendez walked with her through the ship, stopping at a terminal. He pushed her towards it and she looked at him. She raised her brow.

“You know what I want, little one. Compromise the automated security systems. I need our path clear.”

“I can’t,” she said. She narrowed her eyes, “And I won’t.”

Menendez peered at Torres. He gave an indulgent smile, “You are a good daughter, little one. Loyal. But this will not help you. Not help David.”

Torres felt the sharp intake of breath. “If I compromise the turrets…”

“Don’t and things will happen.”

Torres felt her throat convulse. She looked at the terminal and then at Menendez. She was about to touch it when petty officer asked what was going on. He had no reason to be suspicious since she was dressed like the crew. He never saw it coming when Menendez killed him with one shot and then directed it at her.

“I will not hurt you, little one. But you must do this or more will be on your hands.”

“Blood will be on my hands if I do.”

Torres looked at Menendez. She couldn’t do this and stepped away. She looked at the man defiantly. “I won’t,” she said and waited for the consequences.

Menendez stared at her defiance and refusal to cooperate. He admired that in her and smiled, “You are like your father la pequeña. Loyal to principles. Luckily for me, I do not need your cooperation.”

Torres looked up the moment the alarms sounded. She looked at Menendez. He was pointing the gun at her like he intended to use it. She knew he could and did. She still stood defiantly. She had no idea what Menendez was playing at by claiming to know her father, but her concern was the fleet. “Then what do you need me for? You can kill me. I’m not a part of this thing with Section.”

“Please address him as David,” Menendez countered, “Don’t fool yourself and show respect.”

“I’ve indulged you long enough,” she retorted, her voice rising, “Mátame o haz lo que viniste a hacer aquí.”

Menendez peered at her and replied, “No little one. I will not kill you. No sabes nada y aun así viniste a mí.”

Torres looked at Menendez. A glance at the terminal told her that the ships systems had been hijacked. She could hear Spanish shouting in the halls and gunfire. She looked at Menendez. “What do you want me for?” She couldn’t help but ask since she had no idea why she was being used in this manner.

Menendez shook his head. He then gestured with the gun, indicating she was to keep moving. “Take me to the server room, little one.”

Torres turned, having no choice. She had a gun at her back and while she could probably wrestle it away, she might end up with worse consequences. Of course she could find out what he wanted. She said, “I’m not going to let you in.”

“You don’t have to,” Menendez replied as he leaned over her shoulder to taunt her. “Your own people will do it for me.”

Torres thought about that and ran through her mind the security protocols. If the systems were hijacked and they were locked out… The only way to clear it would be a hard reset and that… She turned slightly and looked at Menendez, with understanding in her eyes.

“See? You are like your father. Seeing things before others do. Such a perfect match for David. I am guessing that is why Spectre paired you together.”

Torres didn’t let on. She could keep her hands raised but that would invite suspicion and if she fought, it would only distract the men from taking back the ship. This had been planned perfectly. She retorted, “I was assigned because I am good with computers. That doesn’t mean that I’m going to help you.” She looked at Menendez with a hard glare.

“That is only what Spectre told you,” Menendez retorted. He then muttered something in Spanish, a local dialect that Torres didn’t understand. He used the gun to inch her forward. “You know how I know Spectre?”

“How is that?”

“Spectre is the one who has been dogging my plans since the beginning. I may have gotten the upper hand against those that took Josefina away from me, but Spectre… Spectre was always there, forcing me to change my plans. Your father decided to side with Spectre.”

Torres listened, not sure how much of that was true or not. It was clear that Menendez didn’t know that Spectre was a name only. Yet it seemed that there was more to it than what her mentor had told her. “I don’t know what you are talking about. My father and mother worked for the State Department…”

“Spectre has eyes everywhere.”

“Maybe,” Torres replied, trying to keep things on an even ground. She knew that Menendez said he would never hurt her, but that wasn’t a guarantee. “It still doesn’t answer why you want me.”

“You are here because you know things. Things you didn’t even realize. Your parents made sure of it. Spectre made sure. That and…”

They were near the server room. Torres stood there. She wasn’t going to open the door nor was she going to comm and ask them to unseal it. She shifted to look at Menendez who was looking at her. The look in his eye had her puzzled but it was gone the moment he looked at one of his men who was stationed outside. She looked at him when he said that Briggs was going to restart the system. She just glared at him and then at Menendez.

“Y Salazar?”

Torres didn’t flinch but she felt the pang as the PMC said that he was with the enemy. She didn’t want to believe it. She looked at Menendez who merely stared at her. Gone was that benevolent look and replaced was one that he was going to use her to achieve his own ends.

“Do not try to warn them, little one. Or things will not end well for you,” Menendez warned as he motioned with her gun that she was to go first.

Torres took a breath, feeling it catch in her throat. She didn’t like where this was going. It wasn’t just Briggs in there. There were others, including Salazar. She couldn’t put them at risk, but she couldn’t allow Menendez to move forward with his plan. She felt the barrel of the gun in the small of her back and she stepped forward. She could see Briggs bent over the console with the tech as they were waiting to see if the reset worked.

She let out a soft breath as Menendez pushed her to the side. It was the only warning that Briggs had when he turned and Menendez greeted him, “Admiral Briggs.”

Briggs was in Menendez’ clutches before she could do anything and she was weaponless. She started but was stopped when Menendez threatened to shoot Briggs in the head. “No, little one. Go in.”

Torres gritted her teeth as she led the way into the main room. She could see Karma get up with her hands raised and so was Salazar. The two guards has their guns raised and pointed in the direction of Menendez and Briggs. She sidestepped to inch closer to Karma, trying to figure out her next move.

“Salazar. Shoot through me! Kill this son of a bitch!” Briggs was looking at them, his focus on Salazar.

Torres followed his gaze to Salazar, Menendez’ hint loud in her ear as she watched the man. All it took was one blink, but it happened fast. Salazar had his hand gun up and fired at the two guards. Kill shots on both. Instinct followed.

Torres didn’t know what she was thinking when Salazar wheeled about and turned to point his gun at Karma. She went with it and got in front of the girl in a protective stance. She flung one hand behind her to guide the girl as she tracked Salazar’s movements. Her eyes were narrowed at the man, pain and hurt in her eyes at his betrayal.

“Move out of the way, Sombra,” Salazar said, not lowering his gun.

Torres gave a slight shake as she moved. Her focus was on the gun in front of her. Her other hand kept Karma behind her. She could hear Menendez gently chuckle as if amused by the whole thing. She just kept her gaze on Salazar and focused her breathing.

“Sombra,” Salazar barked. He didn’t want to hurt her, but she was giving him no choice. “No desperdicies tu vida. Movimiento.”

“La traición de la confianza conlleva un pesado tabú,” Torres countered, not budging on her stance and her glare only got firmer.

Salazar sighed, “Lo siento. I’m sorry.” He raised his gun, ready to shoot her to put her down.

Torres waited for her moment. She tugged on Karma’s arm to get her to get down and sprang forward at the same time. She put her hands on Salazar’s wrists and forced them upward. A shot went off and hit the ceiling as she struggled to get the upper hand, growling like an animal. She was well aware that she was a woman and smaller than Salazar, but she was not going down without a fight.

Salazar managed to get the upper hand but couldn’t wrench the gun away. She was holding on tight and knew he was going to have to get physical. He saw one of the PMCs raise his gun to shoot her and shouted for them not to. It was a mistake since Torres shifted and gave him a punch across the face, but he didn’t let go.

Rather, he shifted and ended up grabbing her and throwing her to the ground. Before she could recover, he had the side of his boot across her neck and he applied pressure. He looked down at her and said, “Te dije que no hicieras esto. I told you not to do this, Sombra.” He kept the pressure on and raised his gun at Karma.

Karma had tried to take cover but there were only so many places to do that. She looked at the two guns pointed at her and came out. There was no way she was going to win this despite what Torres tried to do. She stood there looking defeated and the last thing she heard was the shot ringing out.

Torres’ eyes went wide and she managed to scream, “No! Salazar! Voy a matarte. You son of a bitch!” She struggled to get free but the angle he had her and the fact that he was cutting off her air, did her no good.

“So brave little one and yet… pierdes,” Menendez said almost laughing.

Briggs was growling and struggling, “Salazar. You rotten cocksucker!”

Salazar looked down at Torres under his boot. She was pounding at his leg but to no avail and then at Briggs, saying, “I’ll surrender when it’s done.”

“I’d rather see you die than surrender.”

“Voy a matarte,” Torres repeated in anger. She could feel her strength waning as she struggled to get free.

“Don’t struggle, Sombra. You’ll only hurt yourself more,” Salazar said in a soft tone. “And I can’t do that to Section.” He looked downward at her and at the anger and hurt in her eyes. He apologized again, “Lo siento.”

Menendez ignored the exchange as he pushed Briggs forward. He was amused when the admiral taunted him about having Salazar kill him. He could do that and the job would be done, but Salazar said, “Briggs is a good man, Menendez. Shoot him in the leg.”

Menendez looked at Torres who was looking on at the scene from her position on the floor. The pressure was getting to be too much and she was passing out. He pointed his gun and shot Briggs in the leg, forcing Salazar to remove his foot to check on the wounded man. He went to the terminal, “If we truly succeed today, Admiral Briggs will come to understand why I did not kill him. And you little one will understand everything.”

Torres coughed the moment the pressure was released but she had lost too much air from struggling. It was nice to get full breaths but it wasn’t enough to do anything. She blinked slowly as she watched Menendez reach towards his face and pull out his glass eye. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes, blacking out completely.

****

David felt his heart jump into his throat the moment he saw Torres on the screen. He watched as she forced a standoff between herself and Salazar and she didn’t have a weapon. It was either very brave, foolish or stupid… either way, it shot a bullet of fear down his spine. He had to get into the server room. He turned towards the men working and shouted, “Hurry the fuck up!”

He never thought in a million years that Salazar would betray them like this. True the man knew Menendez during his rise to power, but he had proven his loyalty. It was so fucking messed up. And he dared to point a gun at Torres! He took a couple of quick breaths to focus his attention on getting to the server room.

They had just finished and he commed, “Harper, get to the server room! Briggs and Sombra are down!”

David almost shoved the man angrily out of the way as he took point into the access way. This was a final straw. Whether or not it was the one that broke the camel’s back depended upon the situation in the server room. Whether or not Torres was still alive. She had to be alive.

Swallowing back the fear, David radioed, “Attention all security officers. Commander David Mason. SEAL team member Salazar is working with the enemy. I want him taken alive.” His breath came out controlled but tense.

It was a short walk, but he was hunched over as he made his way to the grate that led into the server room. A well-placed kick had it popped off and he was in. He swallowed as he got to his feet and raced over to find Briggs huddled on the ground with blood near his knee. There was blood spatter from the downed security and Karma. Then there was Torres.

David felt like he was going into a panic seeing her lying there on the floor. A nasty bruise was forming on her neck and she appeared to not be breathing. He tapped her shoulder, “Torres! Torres!” He paused and then said, “Simone!”

It was faint but he heard it. He heard the gasp of breath and he bent over to make sure she was breathing and watch to see if her chest was moving. His lips twitched in relief that she was okay, well, will be okay. He signaled a medic over to check her out and pointed at Briggs. “Check the wounded.”

As much as he wanted to stay with her, he had to find out what Menendez did. He was at the terminal in two seconds and he looked at the damage done, the realization hitting him in the face. “This was his plan… Menendez smuggled a Celerium chip onboard. Hacked out whole system. He’s now in command of the satellite network controlling the entire US drone fleet. We need to inform the Pentagon.”

“You better watch your back. Whoever compromised Salazar can get to you…” Briggs grunted.

“Get him and Torres to sickbay,” David ordered. He signaled to another soldier, “We’ll need our tech team working on this ASAP. We have to find the source of the satellite control transmissions.”

_Already working on it, Commander._

“Hickam, you’re still online?” David looked around relieved and puzzled.

_Affirmative. Once the virus started uploading, I had to shield my programming. I went offline and took the systems I had under control with me. Those systems are in your control now Commander._

David sighed in relief. At least something was going their way. “That’s good news. Thanks Hickam.”

_Just give the order._

David grinned just as Harper walked in asking what the hell happened. He answered, “Salazar. He played us all. He was working with Menendez.”

“Fuck! How could he do that? He was one of us!”

“Ese hijo de puta está muerto!”

David and Harper turned to see Torres getting to her feet and fighting off the medics, telling them to get the fuck away from her. David was there and motioned them to back away while reaching towards her, “Torres.”

Torres was spitting mad. She was ready to swing at anyone and anything. David recognized she was probably remembering what happened before she passed out and tried to calm her down, “Hey! Torres! Calm down!”

Torres shot David a glare. He knew she was well aware. She was extremely pissed. She grunted, “That son of bitch. He betrayed us! Nos traicionó!”

“I know,” David replied as he reached to keep her from raising her hands. “We all know and we’re gonna get him, but I need you to calm down.” He glanced at the medic and asked, “Everything okay?”

“Good to go but I suggest getting checked out when this is over.” The medic backed away, clearly not wanting to be involved in anything regarding the angry woman that looked ready to tear the place apart.

David nodded and let the medic go. He turned his attention to Torres and she looked calm enough to have a semi rational conversation. He asked, “Are you, okay? Can you fight?”

“Don’t be fucking blind, Section,” she huffed as she took controlled breaths to calm her temper down. She added in a low growl, “I want to rip his fucking heart out.”

“Then I need you to get your shit together. We’ll go after him together.” David watched her. He really couldn’t blame her for being angry. She seemed okay and ready to fight and he knew she was no damsel in distress. Right now, he needed her to focus. He needed her on her A-game if they were going to finish this.

Torres finished her breathing exercises and nodded, “Okay.”

David wasn’t entirely convinced. She still seemed to be focused on what happened and her anger. He spoke in a low tone and called her by name, “Simone. You with me?”

It got her attention and she looked him in the eye. She nodded and replied equally low, “I’m with you, David. Let’s get that asshole.”

David nodded with a slight smile and went over to pick up a gun and ammunition. He handed it to her and waited while she locked and loaded and put a few more clips in her belt. He picked up a sidearm and held it out to her. He joked, “You might need it.”

Torres gave a lopsided grin. “Oh I can think of a dozen ways to use this,” she joked before putting it on her belt. “Come on. We’re wasting time.”

David grinned and gestured at Harper to take point. The man was pissed too but he seemed relieved that Torres was ready to go. He was relieved himself and he really couldn’t believe that he used her given name like that. She didn’t seem to overly notice and he would keep it that way since he did the same when she called him by name.

_Section. Security team epsilon. We have Salazar secure. He surrendered without incident._

“Where are you?”

_Hangar bay two._

“On my way. What about Menendez?”

_He took off in one of our fighters. We missed him by seconds._

“Serpiente,” Torres muttered as she took up the rear.

David glanced at her. “I know that one,” he joked.

Torres looked at him and grinned. It caused him to grin as well as they made their way to hangar bay two. There were no PMCs so they weren’t bogged down or anything like that. They did have to face Salazar since he was being detained. David wasn’t sure how Torres was going to react to this. He took a wild guess that Salazar was the one that gave her the bruise on her neck and thinking about it made him want to strangle the man too. And not because she was his teammate.

Salazar was waiting with his hands behind his back. David couldn’t help but rush up and grab him, “You betrayed us Salazar!”

Salazar looked at David and an apologetic expression came over his face when he spotted Torres. “Today is a difficult day, Section. But tomorrow, we all win.”

David glared at Salazar when Torres said, “A lo hecho, pecho.”

David shifted to see Torres had come to stand close to Salazar and was looking at him in the eye. He wouldn’t stop her if she wanted to kill him. He was surprised when she said, “Dime con quién andas, y te dire quién eres. All you’ve proven is that you are like the serpent.” She turned to take a few steps back and it looked like she was debating on whether or not to shoot him.

“And as I said, lo siento, Sombra. But we all will win.”

“Not for you.”

David blinked when he heard the shot and Harper stepped forward with his gun smoking. He looked at his friend and then at Torres. She was looking almost sad that Salazar had to die. It was mingled with disappointment as well. No one was going to say anything since Salazar did commit treason and the penalty for that was death.

There was nothing left to say. After all they still had to take back the Obama. And they were going to get Menendez.


	17. Chapter 17

“All ASEAN units of the United States Navy have been instructed to defend China against Raul Menendez’ drone attacks.”

_Thank you, Madam President. Your actions speak louder than any words. Along with some helpful hints from a mutual friend._

President Bosworth nodded and smiled gently. This was almost a disaster and yet there were forces at work to keep it from being such. She recalled what she had been told when she was introduced to the mutual friend that was spoken of.

China had come at a crucial moment and was able to save the Obama. The attacking forces had been eliminated and now the ship was undergoing damage control. There was a lot to be thankful for and yet it wasn’t over.

“Madam President, The SEAL commander who captured Menendez requested to head up your security detail along with…”

“Agent Torres,” President Bosworth interrupted as she turned to see a face she hadn’t seen in a while. She smiled as she held out her hand, “It’s been a while. I’ve missed having you on my security detail.”

Torres gave a polite smile and took the proffered hand, “And I’ve missed being assigned to Eagle, ma’am.”

“I guess my loss is Spectre’s gain,” Bosworth said with a smile.

“More like… a gain to the United States,” Torres offered, well aware that her familiar conversation with the president was going to have questions that she was going to have to answer. “An opportunity to learn new skills.” She raised her brow in a knowing fashion, reminding the president about the conversation they had when Spectre tapped her.

President Bosworth chuckled at that, “Of course and I see it has been working out. Your analysis had helped us greatly.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” Torres shuffled slightly in her seat. She had forgotten that President Bosworth never forgot contributions and they had become fairly close in the short time she had been on her security detail.

“I look forward to you heading up security.”

Torres slowed her down, “Uh, actually that would be the Commander here.” She gestured at David, who sitting there looking like he had come into the middle of something important and didn’t know what was going on. “He is the leading authority on Menendez and believes that you may still be a target. I’m just along for the ride.” She gave a smile.

President Bosworth studied her former head of security. She had picked Torres because she wanted someone that wasn’t too strict and creative in operations. It was a sting in the eye to more seasoned agents, but she had been firm, and she got what she wanted. She had forgotten how humble Torres was and she always gave credit where it was due. Like she did now. The president nodded and murmured, “Of course. And you just happen to have a gun on you.” She gave a wink.

“Sir, we have activity on the ground. Multiple hostiles,” the head of Secret Service detail said. He looked pointedly at Torres.

Torres nodded and moved to pull up surveillance. It showed the hijacked drones changing course. They were heading towards…

“Los Angeles,” David said, “I knew it was too easy to crack that Celerium drive. He’s targeting the president.”

Torres stood up and said, “Section, assume cover position.” She gave a gentle push to Secretary Petraeus to get to the ground and brace for impact and signaled the Secret Service agents. “Marine One is under attack. Go to ground, now!” She checked to make sure that the president was secured. “Alert the MRAP for immediate pickup. Hickam, go to full alert.”

_Copy that. Activating ISR surveillance._

Torres turned to look at the radar and shouted, “Brace for impact!” She took position near her fellow Secret Service agent. “You good, Jones?”

“Right there with you Torres,” Jones replied. He gave a wry grin, “Welcome back.”

“Good to be back,” Torres said just as Marine One was hit by an RPG. Sparks flew and one of the aides fell. Alarms started blaring and she moved to cover the secretary.

“We’re going down!”

Torres looked at David and locked eyes with him. They shared a nod as they braced once more for impact. She positioned her hands and looked around and closed her eyes. She offered a silent prayer that they would land with minimal casualty. It was a lot to ask, but she felt it was warranted and she aimed to help make it happen.

The crash was jarring, and Torres found herself being thrown off balance, but Secretary Petraeus was okay. She winced since her shoulder hit the ground hard. She also smacked her head and ended with a small cut on her brow. She coughed as the smoke from downed systems filled the area and looked at her PC. “Are you okay, Secretary Petraeus?”

The secretary nodded, and she immediately helped him to his feet. She didn’t see any serious injuries. He could walk. She reached for her weapon to hold it at the ready for any hostiles. She knew there would be plenty of hostiles.

“Madam President, are you okay?” David coughed as he assessed the president. She nodded, but he had to confirm, “Are you sure?” When she nodded again, he gave the order, “Evac the president to Prom Night.”

Torres guided the secretary to the soldiers that had arrived to secure the crash site. She signaled them and looked at Jones. He had been banged up too and still alive. She repeated, “Jones, Prom Night activated.” She patted his shoulder in reassurance and turned to a medic, “We got wounded here.” She signaled them forward.

“You alright?”

Torres turned to see David and she gave a smirk, “Just my luck you get out of this without a scratch.”

“You said I was the best,” David joked back, relieved that she was okay despite the fact that she was sporting a cut.

“Don’t let it get to your head, Section. I still need your brains, not ego,” she teased as she moved to cover the security.

David felt his lip twitch and shook his head slightly. He made the right call not to leave her behind. Not that she would have given him much choice with that. He winced since the bruise from Salazar’s manhandling was readily apparent. At least people were polite not to mention it.

“Section, we don’t have all day. Hoof it.”

David muttered, “Yes, dear,” as he followed Torres to climb into the MRAP. He slapped the side to indicate to get going.

Torres slid towards the front get reports and to watch the road ahead. David got in and moved to help Harper with one of the injured aides. It was a through and through, but the guy was in pain and panicking. He gestured his thanks and turned his attention to the road ahead.

“Madam President, the drones took out Air Force One and Marine one. We cannot extract you by air.”

“Jones, Torres, what’s the status of the other convoys?”

David listened to the report, amazed at how easily the president demanded information from Torres like she was still on presidential detail. No one thought to point out that Torres was on his team now. Then again no one argued with the president.

Jones reported, “LAPD reports surface streets are compromised. Hundreds of heavily armed mercenaries have struck LA simultaneously.”

“Getting reports in and confirmed, Madam President,” Torres added as she glanced over her shoulder. “ISR is detecting multiple movements on major arteries.” She gave a pointed look at the president.

“Any word on casualties?”

Torres put a hand to her ear and reported, “Confirmed downtown LA evacuated.”

“Preliminary reports are below expectations,” Johnson the other aide added.

President Bosworth nodded in thankfulness. She turned towards David who was checking his sidearm. “Mason, what’s our next move?”

“Madam President, we’re taking you to the Prom Night shelter under the Bonaventure Hotel in Downtown,” David replied.

President Bosworth nodded, “Johnson, I want troops in the street and these drones dealt with.”

“Madam President,” the other Secret Service agent entered, “NORAD scrambled two hundred FA38s. They’re less than five minutes out.”

Torres was watching the road ahead and listening to the conversation. She was also listening to Hickam’s report on the mobilization of troops. She shifted to look out the windows at the security and choppers. Local law enforcement was directing traffic. “This is what Menendez planned all along,” she said in a calm tone. “Taking out the G20 leaders will cripple capitalist governments around the world.” She stared at the window and could make out the hijacked drones.

Torres shifted to look out the other windows. Her gaze lighted on a drone as it fired, and she tracked it as it hit an escort chopper. She tapped the driver’s shoulder, “Blow through! Blow through!”

There was little choice except to do that. Torres tried not to wince at the bodies that flew and hit their vehicle as multiple explosions occurred. She held on as she noted police vehicles flying and popping in the air. Multiple explosions and more shots were taken at vehicles. She gritted her teeth as they pummeled through. Until the road near their MRAP was hit.

The vehicle bounced from the concussion of the explosion. The force was enough to knock the vehicle over. Torres felt herself falling back and tried to shield herself from anything that was heading towards her body. She collided with something and landed hard. She waited until the vehicle was relatively stable before moving.

It certainly was a blessing to be wearing Kevlar for her torso. She got to her feet and winced from the multiple sore points making themselves known. She reached for a weapon and moved to position, stumbling slightly. She looked downward to find David lying there and realized she had collided with him when they crashed. She looked around quickly and saw the president trying to get up. She moved to get the president and help her out.

Harper had managed to get out and was armed. She coughed, “Harper, get the president!”

Once seeing the president out, Torres turned her attention to David. He had started to wake up and was slowly turning to get to his feet and ascertain injuries. She put a hand under his armpit, “Come on, Section. I’m not like Spectre. I can’t lug your heavy ass out of here.”

“I bet you can,” David muttered as he winced and coughed from all the dust.

Torres shot him a look as she got out of the downed vehicle. She signaled Jones, “Jones, get to cover just like we drilled.”

In the meantime, David had gotten out with Harper relaying the situation. He shook it off as best as he could and grabbed a gun. They had to move and take cover since the drones were zeroing in on them. He looked around and spotted Torres taking cover and laying cover fire to allow Agent Jones to get the president to safety.

“Come on, Section,” Harper was saying, “The stingers are our only chance.”

“Right.”

David looked over to see the mobile SAM. He shook off the last of the disorientation and sprinted towards it. “Be ready to move out,” he called as he leapt onto the vehicle. It basically looked like it had run into a ditch but the SAMs were operational.

“Hurry up, Section before we get pinned,” Torres shouted.

David got into the turret and activated the guns. He heard Harper starting to call out drone positions and he started shooting. It was not easy since the drones were coming in on all sides and they were zeroing in on him. He had to play it smart and take them out as they came; hitting the ones he could hit. He followed Harper’s calls as best as he could, but it got pretty heavy.

_Get the hell out of there!_

David hadn’t missed how the vehicle shifted. If he didn’t get out, then he would be taken a sudden drop and… Not a nice picture to be thinking of, so he got out of there as fast as he could. He landed on the pavement just as the vehicle fell and crashed to the street below. Rolling, he saw a drone coming at them and was suddenly taken out. It hit the pavement and skidded over them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Harper leading the detail with the president. He couldn’t see Torres and wondered if she had been hit. He didn’t hear anything over the comms, but he panicked all the same. Then she entered his field of vision as she lifted her rifle and took out another drone. She managed to shout at him, “Quit lying there, Section. This isn’t a vacation.”

David got to his feet and retorted, “You try getting out of a SAM before it goes over the edge.”

“Not my style. I’m your shadow saving your collective asses.” Torres grinned as she fired again, signaling Harper to move up.

_Section, this is Anderson, responding to your mayday call. Standing by for tasking._

David was on his feet and picked up the rifle that was handed to him by Torres. “Anderson, we are en route to Prom Night. Request establish overhead. Provide armed overwatch.”

_Wilco. Be advised, I’m all you got. The bulk of my squadron is down or engaging drones._

“Understood. We’ll make it work.”

Torres had been listening and then signaled Anderson, “Anderson, this is Special Agent Torres. Requesting that Hickam be allowed to go for the ride. A little helping hand with ISR surveillance.”

_Wilco, Agent Torres._

“Hickam.”

_On it. Done._

“Good. Thanks for the assist Anderson.”

_No problem. Just wondering what good this will do._

“You’ll see. Out.” Torres adjusted the weapon in her hand and started following David through the debris littered freeway. She coughed a little from the smoke but kept up.

_Mercenaries all along the freeway, SP064B._

_They’ve got RPGs targeting another G20 convoy. Dead ahead, lower level._

“Sombra,” David called, “Get on the other sniper rifle.”

Torres slung back her rifle and moved to pick up one of the rifles that had been dropped from the assault on the bridge. She hefted it up and rapidly began to set. She checked the ammo and made sure she had plenty of it.

“We need those vehicles to get to Prom Night.” David was surveying the situation and giving orders, “Harper, get the president down there while Sombra and I provide cover fire.”

_Now I know they’ll be in trouble._

“Only one in trouble is you, Harper,” Torres joked as she brought the rifle up and started targeting mercenaries. She was cool in her aim as she looked for targets and took them out. “Section, we gotta clear it out or we’re dead in the water.”

“Copy,” David replied as he aimed low while she was up high.

_Several mercs inside the big rig trailer. Lower freeway, right side._

“No joy on my end. Take ‘em, Section,” Torres relayed as she continued to focus on what she could see.

David moved to where Harper directed them and began firing. He took them out allowing Harper to move their group up. He could hear occasional rounds going off and glanced over to see Torres. She was covering the left.

_More NG trucks advancing on the right._

“Take cover by the vehicle,” Torres said in a calm tone. “Section, open fire. The rounds will penetrate.”

_Dead ahead. We got another NG truck dropping infantry._

“Torres take ‘em! Harper stay in cover! I’ll direct you to move when you’re clear!” David pulled up the scope to get a clear view of where the mercs were dropping in.

“Leave me to do the dirty work, eh?” Torres grinned as she shifted and began targeting the mercs. She didn’t hit in the same area but changed it up. It gave the chance for some confusion and they wouldn’t be able to track where the shots came from so easily. She heard Harper saying they were taking fire on all sides. “Shifting left. Right side needs cover.”

David pulled his weapon up to cover the right. They timed it perfectly that they weren’t firing at the same time. The shots were spread so it allowed for reload when necessary. They managed to clear the pathway enough for him to tell Harper to move up, “Push through! The G20 leaders in that vehicle are running out of time.”

_They’re right on us Section and Sombra. Behind the support columns. Dammit taking fire from high._

“These guys just don’t quit,” Torres grunted as she shifted to aim high, knowing that David would aim low. She then spotted something. “Snipers on the overpass.”

“Take ‘em out, Sombra!” David could see them and the others down low. “I’ll cover lower. Just get those snipers.”

A shot rang out in response. David saw one of the snipers fall from his position. He glanced at Torres who was grinning as she fired off another shot. “Remind me not to piss you off.”

“Nah. I kind of like you. This is for those I don’t like.”

David gave a wry chuckle. Another assessment and he saw they were clear. “You’re clear Harper. Get to the vehicles.”

He had barely finished when a shot came their way and hit the bridge nearby. He turned and saw that they didn’t have a whole lot of time. He started rigging up his rope.

_Get the hell out of there you two. The freeway’s coming down._

David gave a slight toss of his head. There was no time to rig a second rig. He called out, “Torres, come on. On me.”

It was a risk since it was literally double the weight that was roping down, but there was no way that he was leaving her on her own. She grabbed him from behind and wrapped her legs around his and he could hear her cursing in Spanish. At least that was what he thought she was doing. And it was warranted since they dropped too fast and he felt her arms release him. He felt the sudden drop in weight and would have said something, but he dropped fast. “Shit!”

As SEAL, David trained for the air, land and sea, but the water was home. Part of that training involved learning how to take a fall in anticipation of the shit hitting the fan. It didn’t mean that it was a pleasant experience. Luckily his adrenaline was up, and he hit the deck and rolled away. He caught sight of a car falling off and landing with a crash. He rolled to sit up and called out, “Sitrep, Torres.” A pause, “Torres? Torres!”

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Torres replied coughing as she walked over to where he was sitting. She started chuckling, “Damn. Nothing like what Spectre did in Africa.”

David rolled his eyes at her as he stood up. “What the fuck?”

“It wasn’t a big drop. I took a chance,” Torres replied with a shrug. She looked little worse for the wear. Her arms were scraped, and her knuckles were too. The cut on her forehead had clotted and she was covered in dirt. She looked at David, “Come on. Worry about it later.”

David growled a little but nodded. “Right.” He activated his comm, “Get on the radio and find the status of the other convoys.”

_The rear vehicles diverted as soon as we were hit. SECDEF Petraeus is secure._

That was good news. David turned and offered a fist to Torres and she returned it with a grin and saying, “Come on, Section. Still got to beat their asses some more.”

“Roger that,” David replied with a grin.

Together they pushed forward to join up with the others. There were still mercs that hadn’t been caught by their cover fire and new ones roping in. They took them out and took cover as they pushed forward to the vehicles. Torres didn’t waste more than was necessary on the enemy. Plus, they didn’t know when they would have a chance to pick up more ammo.

They made it to the vehicles. Torres made a beeline to the president to check in. David signaled security, “We need to get this convoy moving. Get the President into the middle vehicle!”

Torres got to the middle vehicle and ushered the president in. She signaled the others to make sure that they were loading up. With the way things were going, they were going to be fighting every step of the way. She looked ahead and called, “PMCs are setting up a barricade! Clear them out!”

They followed their lead and David came up seeing Torres leading the way of clearing their path. They had to move out now. He looked at Torres as she said, “Get ready to move, Jones. Make sure you save me a seat.”

David looked at her and she turned to give him a look back. He understood. She was going in the middle vehicle to provide additional security. He nodded and moved towards the lead vehicle, “I’ll take the lead vehicle with Harper.”

“Everyone follow my lead. 110 Northbound. Single file convoy,” Harper shouted as David climbed in.

David settled in the driver’s seat and caught a glimpse of Torres climbing into the middle vehicle. He focused to what was in front of him. Once people her in, he gunned it. They were on their way to Prom Night.


	18. Chapter 18

_G-Units. Blue route is compromised. I say again. Blue route is compromised. All convoys need to avoid the arena district. Await further updates._

“This is Agent Torres on site. We’ll find a way through the streets. Regroup en route. Jones is in charge of security.”

_Copy that._

_Be careful, Torres._

“David? David!”

David winced as he opened his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he closed his eyes again. He was rudely shaken and winced. He felt like he had been tossed around inside an empty ordinance shell from the battleship guns. His head ached, and it felt a little sticky.

“Come on you two. I can’t haul both your asses. Harper, get your ass in gear.”

There was the smack of flesh on flesh and David frowned his eyes open. He found Torres leaning over him and slapping Harper quite hard. Any other time a joke could be made about the way she was positioned. Right now, he was trying to clear his head and get back on point. He hunched over and winced from a thousand and one sore spots on his body.

There was an explosion and David groaned a little as he tried to move. He heard Torres saying, “Anderson, we’ve got RPGs on the rooftops.”

_Copy that, Torres. I’m trying to… dammit!_

David found his face slapped that jolted him wide awake and heard the same done to Harper. He heard Harper managing to joke, “Hey Sombra, only allowed on the fourth date.”

“And you’ll never get that far if you don’t get your ass moving.”

David groused as the cobwebs cleared and he started moving. He tried not to hiss at the fact that it felt like something hit him across his middle and his chest ached since he was still nursing a cracked sternum. He thought about how pissed Spectre was going to be if she found out the details.

“Anderson!”

There were pops from gunfire and explosions. David turned to see Torres firing and looking up at the sky, screaming on the comms at Anderson. He looked up to see Anderson’s bird getting hit and heard her cussing on the line.

_Sonofabitch. I’m… I’m hit. But I’m okay. Dammit._

David managed to get clear of the damaged vehicle. He took a couple of breaths, but it hurt like a motherfucker. He had to shake it off especially the sting of that slap he received. He looked up to see Torres taking cover and firing at a CLAW that was firing at them. She had a few more abrasions and her shirt was in tatters, the sleeves completely torn off and he saw why.

One sleeve had been tied to Harper’s arm to staunch the bleeding. From what, David had no clue. The other sleeve was on her hand. It was moving but it suggested that it was either bleeding or she broke something. Picking up a gun. He moved to join in, forcing himself to shake it off.

“Motherfucker!” Harper was cursing up a storm and firing at the CLAW. “It was a fucking ambush!”

“The whole fight is a fucking ambush, Harper,” Torres was shouting as she turned to take out a couple of PMCs. “Stow it and keep firing.”

“Such a bossy little shadow.”

“You’ll see how bossy I am.” Torres moved forward to force the line forward. She had jumped out the vehicle she was in to check on the lead vehicle when it was taken out. She had signaled Jones to get a move on and took command of the local LEOs and directed them to fire as necessary while she checked on David and Harper.

The blast hit their vehicle hard and it looked like it was a lot worse than when they flipped in the MRAP on the freeway. She found an injury on Harper’s arm and bandaged it using her shirt sleeve. She tied it off and tried to get them awake. She needed them to tell her if she needed to haul them out even though she couldn’t see any readily apparent damage. She was glad that Anderson was still covering them until she was hit.

The other shirt sleeve she wrapped around her left hand since she scraped it when she tumbled out of the vehicle. She didn’t need a whole lot and ripped what she needed and stored the rest in her vest. She got to work getting David and Harper out while providing cover. It was a delay that they really couldn’t afford, but she wasn’t going to leave those two behind and if they could move, she would take it.

Taking cover by the disabled vehicle, Torres noticed a truck and recognized what it was for. She signaled, “Section, get to that truck. I’m guessing there’s something in there that could give a hand.”

David nodded and took off. He found the storage unit that stored quad drones. They weren’t part of the main network and could help. Tapping his wrist console, he activated them and ordered them to come forth. They were going to need every little thing they could get. He directed them to target the enemy and took cover where Torres had taken position. “Quad drones activated and deployed.”

“Took your time Section. Thought you were faster than that,” Torres teased.

David gave a slight grin, “Usually am. And the truck’s right side up.” He shifted to return fire and took out a couple of PMCs. He took a breath, “You okay?”

“I’m good,” Torres replied as she fired her gun. She took a look and shook her head, “Shit. They got more of them.”

What she was talking about were enemy CLAW units. They were tough bastards to take down. It was one of the reasons why they used them in operations. If you wanted to take them down quick, you needed something explosive like an RPG. The other downside was that it spitted grenades out through the front. Taking cover and looking around Torres took a breath to think.

David maintained cover fire and looked around. He had an idea and tapped Torres on the shoulder, “Hey, that café there. Use it to take cover, stay low and then let it have it.”

Torres took a look and then at David, “You got something to take it out besides the quads?”

David showed her the RPG that he had picked up. “Got it covered. Stick to me like a shadow?”

Torres grinned a little and nodded, “Send the quads to target the mercs. I’ll cover.”

David grinned and nodded. He moved to get into position, knowing that she was going to follow. When he gave the signal, they hoofed it to the café and took fire from the CLAW that decided to fire upon them. Glass from the windows shattered and they shielded their faces. Torres moved in front to go after the PMCs that were in the building. The quads hovered above, taking them out as ordered by David.

_Section, Torres, the mercs are bringing reinforcements!_

_We’re northbound on Grand, but we’re getting_ word _the French President’s convoy is pinned near the arena._

Torres was listening in and tapped David, “If we lose any more foreign leaders, the fallout will be catastrophic.”

David grasped the situation and nodded, “Understood. Then we need to get in there.”

Torres nodded. She then commed, “Understood on sitrep.”

David had loaded the RPG and took aim to fire at the CLAW. It had moved into position that had a clear line of sight. One shot took it out and allowed them to move up. There still was one more CLAW to take out. He deployed the quads as Torres cleared the way for them to take cover behind a few cars just before the second CLAW started firing at them.

“I knew there was a reason I hated these things,” Torres joked as she reloaded her weapon. She was kneeling and looked up at David who was standing and firing. “Pos on CLAW?”

“Straight ahead,” David gestured with his head. “Shifting to the right.”

“Well take it out.”

David threw a look at Torres before aiming and taking out the CLAW. Harper was shouting, “Nice work bro!”

He looked at Torres and asked, “How about that?”

“Could be better,” she retorted as she moved. She gave a wry grin as she took point and fired at the mercs.

David shook his head and followed. They tagged each other as they pressed forward, covering each other. They paused by a UAV when they heard it.

_Our UAV is on fire! You’ve got to get us out… Please!_

Torres nodded and took up cover fire while David moved to pry open the hatch. He managed to get it open and men started sliding out. “Grab a rifle. We’re not out of this yet!”

The line formed, and David directed the quads forward. They moved into position and fired. He called out, “Spread out. Open up your fields of fire.”

David moved into a nearby store firing back at the enemy. He lost track of Torres until he caught her outside the building moving forward. She took cover where she could find it, and he did the same. They had to keep up the pace and the spread in order to get through the shopping quad. They were everywhere. He ducked when an explosion hit and took a moment to comm for a sitrep, “Anderson, the French President’s vehicle is pinned down nearby! Do you have eyes on?”

_Enemy forces are targeting an IAV directly in front of the arena._

“That’s them! Hold them off! On our way!”

_Section, French vehicle taking heavy fire from all sides! Anderson and I can’t hold them off. Hoof it!_

David frowned when he heard Torres’ voice. How the hell did she get through so fast? It also had him wondering who it was that was cover fire with him. He couldn’t think about it and focused on getting to where the French were being holed up.

_Section hurry up! They’re dead if you don’t get here damn quick!_

David hoofed it as fast as he could. Others were following to lend a hand. He and Harper pushed to the arena and he almost stopped short. “They have another gun truck on the right!”

_Section, I took a hit. I’m going to have to set her down._

_There is heavy fire, Section. Gun trucks and RPGs._

“We’re on our way. Hang in there!”

_Hurry Section. It’s not looking good._

_Dammit. They’re moving in on Anderson’s fighter!_

_Not while I’m still here._

_Hang in there Sombra!_

David gritted his teeth and pressed forward. Torres was there alone covering Anderson and the enemy was converging on the bird. That was the last on his mind when a horrible screeching sounded, and a loud crash happened. It forced them to the ground and he smacked his head on the pavement, making him see stars.

****

Torres knew that it had been crazy to separate from the team. She just saw an opportunity and moved in. Plus, she needed to make sure that the French President was okay. They were getting hit badly and needed help. She knew that Section and Harper would be along even if she got into trouble. They would come.

She got to Anderson’s bird and took a cover position to fire at the enemy that began targeting the downed bird. Anderson was grateful for the assist, but it was bad. Anderson had been wounded. Torres knew that she had to get her out and to check her out.

Climbing up, she tapped on the hatch, “Anderson. You copy?”

_Torres…_

“Pop the hatch,” Torres gestured, “Let me in.”

The hatch popped, and Torres peered in to take a look. It looked bad from where she was sitting. She could see blood and Anderson was looking pale. She sighed and nodded before grabbing Anderson by the shoulder straps. “Come on. Gotta get you out.”

The loud screech distracted her slightly and had Torres look wide eyed in the direction she knew Harper and David were coming from. It was followed with an explosion that she felt through the ground and downed bird. She turned her attention to Anderson and said, “Come on, Anderson. Work with me here.”

It was difficult climbing down and Torres didn’t want to drop the injured woman, but she ended up falling the last few steps to the ground. She ended up banging her knee on the pavement and taking the brunt of the fall. She made and exasperated sound and muttered, “Just a fucking clumsy act.”

“Not in the least, Torres,” Anderson muttered weakly and managed to chuckle.

Torres gave a dry chuckle and moved to wipe her face. It was then she noticed her first finger was in a crooked position. She rolled her eyes as she examined it. “Just my luck,” she muttered before grabbing it and with a deft twist, set the bone. “Fuck.”

“Damn, you’re not bad,” Anderson joked, having watched the whole thing.

“That’s what I get for having three older brothers,” Torres replied as she shifted Anderson to examine her better. “They looked after me. They didn’t baby me.”

They shared a laugh as Torres took a look. Anderson wasn’t too bad. The injury was nasty, but she was certain the pilot was going to make it. She just needed to help with the bleeding since she took a hit. She pulled out the remaining part of her sleeve and opened Anderson’s jumpsuit and pressed the wad on the wound. She joked as she made the adjustment for it to stay in place, “Knew this fucking shirt was good for something.”

A sound caught her attention and Torres grabbed her rifle. She winced from the pain in her finger since it wasn’t splinted. She ignored it and pointed it in the direction she was hearing footsteps, ready to fire if it was the enemy. She listened for sounds of Spanish.

“Anderson! Torres!”

Torres looked up to see Harper and David running up to them. She kept her rifle trained on them until they were clearly in her sights. Only then she lowered it a little. She felt Anderson tap her arm and she glanced down for a moment but turned back onto the pair of men.

“Get her to safety.”

Torres shot a look at Harper as she shifted to lift Anderson. She was stopped by Harper and would have bitten his head off if he hadn’t said, “I need you to watch my back, Sombra. We still got mercs all around.”

Torres nodded at that and stood up to stretch and to cover. She moved her fingers, trying to not let her broken finger stiffen up. She paced while watching and didn’t notice that David was looking at her. She was just frustrated with the whole situation. She was frustrated with the fact that their target has been a step ahead and taunting them and then that whole business onboard the Obama. She paused and rubbed her neck where Salazar tried to choke her.

“You okay?”

Torres straightened up and composed herself before turning to look at David and said, “I’m good.” She gestured at the fighter, “Ever fly one of these things?”

“No, but how hard can it be?”

Torres shrugged, wincing because of her finger. She couldn’t hide it and David had her hand in his and he looked at it. She tugged gently but he still held it. She explained, “I broke it and set it. No big deal.” She tugged again, and he didn’t release it. Sighing she pleaded, “David, please.”

It did the trick and David let go. She looked up at him and noted the look in his eyes. She wasn’t sure what to say or do about it. The safest bet was to get back to business at hand. She gestured at the fighter, “Well the flight computer should handle most of the work and don’t forget you got Hickam.”

“Hickam?”

“Anderson gave authorization,” Torres explained as she stepped away from the fighter as David climbed up. “Hickam has ISR surveillance and can call out bogeys. Probably faster than Harper can. Right Hickam?”

_Even better. Climb aboard Commander. We’re wasting time._

Torres stepped back and watched David climb into the cockpit and put on the helmet. She turned to see Harper finishing loading up Anderson in a nearby ambulance. She backstepped saying, “Harper and I will be in the ambulance.”

_Okay brother. Stay on me and Sombra in the ambulance and we’ll try to regroup with the presidential convoy._

Torres climbed in the back and slammed the doors shut. She tapped the side of the bus, “Let’s go, Harper!”

“Roger that, Sombra.”

Torres braced herself and turned her attention to Anderson. She started checking the woman to make sure that the movement didn’t jolt her too much. Anderson was awake and trying not to be annoyed by the fact that she was out of commission. Torres decided to joke, “Well at least that meat head didn’t make things worse.”

“Didn’t make things better,” Anderson replied, following on the joke.

Torres gave a grin and started pulling supplies off the shelves. She wasn’t a doctor, but first aid had been a required course and her brother was a field medic. When he was on leave, she was the practice dummy and he made her practice on their brothers. That had been fun ‘tying’ them up and she occasionally had to put them to use when she trained with the Secret Service and when Spectre pulled her and started her training with one of the spec ops teams.

Anderson watched Torres as she worked and asked, “Where did you learn this?”

“My brother. Marine medic.” Torres took out a gauze pad after putting on gloves. It was probably moot, but sometimes little things helped. She shifted to maintain her balance as Harper drove. She rolled her eyes, “Section drives better than this.”

The bus jumped, and Anderson groaned a little from it. “I _fly_ better than this shit.”

They shared a laugh before something lurched the bus they were in. Torres put down what she was doing and shifted to try and peer out the windshield. She muttered to herself, cursing in Spanish.

_The PMCs are flooding every damn intersection! The LAPD are overwhelmed. We’re not gonna make it!_

Harper jerked the wheel to avoid being hit. “Sonofabitch! Section where the hell are you? We need you ASAP!”

The debris, the fires, it was stunning as Torres peered out. “Shit. They hit us hard, Harper.”

“I know. How’s Anderson?” Harper glanced at Torres and noted the gloved hands.

“Working on it. Try not to shake the bus too much,” Torres replied with a slight grin as she turned to focus her attention back on Anderson.

_Harper make a left on 8 th._

“Got it.”

Torres felt the vehicle turn as she pulled out an IV. She looked at Anderson and joked, “You trust me?”

“Kept me going so far.” Anderson grinned and watched as Torres prepped the IV and slide the needle in. She was impressed by the level of skill and noted the intense concentration on the woman’s face. She knew she was listening to the radio feeds. “He seemed worried about you.”

“Who?”

“Don’t play dumb, Torres,” Anderson snapped and narrowed her eyes. She waited until Torres had her eyes on her. “You know who I mean. Section.” When Torres looked like she was confused, she went on, “I was watching while the chauffer up front was loading me in here. I’ve known him, and he’s never looked at any female teammate the way he did with you.”

“Only because I’m Secret Service. He thought I was a paper pusher.”

“Knows you now.”

Torres didn’t say anything. She finished making sure the dressings were on and the IV was flowing. Now she made ready just in case Harper needed her to fire a gun. She moved to look out the windshield and be ready to call out enemy positions. “There, three o’clock.”

_Shit! Enemy trucks crashing the Hope Street blockade!_

“Sombra, I need your gun.”

Torres crawled awkwardly to the front of the bus and through the small accessway. She grunted as she pulled herself into position. She pulled her rifle up and made ready to shoot. “Keep it steady Harper.”

“Gotcha!”

Torres lowered the window and stuck out the barrel. She tracked targets, looking for the immediate threat since David was in the sky firing at anything that was in his sights. The more the merrier in her mind.

_Commander, picking up enemy drones on our six._

_I’ll handle the drones. Just get the president to Prom Night!_

Torres gritted her teeth as Harper jerked the wheel. They had been ambushed left and right, taking fire on all sides. She spared a glance to make sure Anderson was okay and continued to fire at any enemy signatures she picked up.

_She’s coming apart._

“Structural integrity is failing. Tell him to eject!” Anderson was shouting from the rear.

Torres heard and shouted, “Section, eject!”

_Shit!_


	19. Chapter 19

David didn’t know what he was getting into when he climbed into the cockpit of Anderson’s bird. He had no idea how to fly one but was given a confidence boost when Torres said that the flight computer would do most of the work. It also helped that Hickam was online. It allowed him to think about Torres and her behavior.

He still couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that she had gotten that far ahead and was covering Anderson until they got there. She had gotten Anderson out and was administering first aid when they showed up and pointing a gun at them. And she had a broken finger.

He wouldn’t have noticed it until she winced and her finger trying to bend but it couldn’t. He couldn’t help but pick up her hand and look at it. He noted the swollen joint and how stiff it looked. He also took the opportunity to notice all of her injuries from the contusions and lacerations from their close calls, well aware he wasn’t looking any better. He didn’t want to let go even when she tugged on her hand until she asked him and called him by name.

They didn’t talk about it more but focused on the task at hand. He got the plane started on liftoff and spared a glance at Torres getting into the ambulance. He shook his head and focused on what he was doing.

_Targeting systems online, Commander._

“Alright, Hickam, we need to clear the path for the convoy. You see anything not friendly, target with extreme prejudice.”

_Copy that. Convoy is on the move._

David navigated into position and was immediately hit with enemy fire. “Shit.”

_PMCs converging on intersections. Detecting enemy drones in the AO. Monitoring on proximity._

“Great,” David muttered as he guided the aircraft through the city. Having been on transport convoys before, he knew what it felt like blowing through and what they were going through. He knew Harper was driving and prayed that he wasn’t going too crazy.

_Shit they’re swarming on us. Taking fire on all sides._

“Hickam!”

_Targeting. Systems damage. Trying to compensate._

David looked at the readings. Anderson had been hit before she went down so there was systems damage. It wasn’t going to so much against the constant fire, but it helped. He made a turn to keep the convoy in sight while firing and he ended up hitting a couple of buildings.

_Nice shooting Commander. Downtown needed a facelift._

“Save the sarcasm for later, Hickam.”

_Merely telling the truth Commander._

_Commander, picking up enemy drones on our six._

The proximity alarms were blaring, and the aircraft shuddered as the enemy drones sped forward. He called, “I’ll handle the drones. Just get the president to Prom Night!”

David adjusted his trajectory to follow the drones. With those in the air, it would make things ten times worse. He heard Harper screaming for Torres and needing her gun up front. The convoy would be fine handling the enemy troops on deck. He turned his focus to the drones.

_Adjusting altitude and trajectory. Pulling up enemy targets on screen._

David saw a small window appear in his HUD and could make out the convoy on the road. It was a relief that things were going well. Things weren’t going so well for him though.

_Structural integrity is failing, Commander. Compensation attempts are not keeping up._

“She’s falling apart.”

David came about to take out a few more drones. It was clear that the aircraft was going down and he was probably in the sights of an enemy drone. “Hickam, we’re gonna have to bail.”

_Affirmative, Commander. Uploading to your HUD right now._

_Section, eject!_

David had cued the ejection just as he heard her voice on the comms. He punched it and was ejected, “Shit!”

_Clear of the canopy._

David heard the flap of the parachute that deployed. The drag was helping, but it didn’t help when a gust caught him from other drones being taken out. It shot him to the side and he rammed into a building, shattering glass and rolled down the side. He tried to slow his descent since he was guessing his chute was tangled and he didn’t have time to get himself free and deploy the emergency chute.

He hit the ground hard, making the bruises he already had worse, his body rolling onto the sidewalk. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the convoy roll pass. They made it and he could breathe easy as he rolled to his feet. He clambered to be vertical as the ambulance pulled to a stop in front of him.

“Mason?”

David turned to look and see Harper climbing out of the ambulance. His friend walked up towards him and gave him a pat on the shoulder, “You are one crazy bastard. You know that right?”

David took a couple of breaths and accepted the pat on his shoulder even though it was sore. He tried not to be obvious as he looked for Torres since she didn’t emerge from the vehicle. He didn’t doubt that she was okay. He just wanted to see for himself.

“Sombra is with Anderson,” Harper said, knowing what David was looking for. “Girl’s got some stones. Even had medic experience.”

That was a relief and David nodded while taking a breath and walking off the fact that he had literally collided with a building. He put his hands on his hips and paced while catching his breath. He watched as the president had been loaded into the safe house and medics were coming in to get Anderson.

Harper watched his friend as he paced and seemed to be deep in thought. He knew his friend had it bad for Torres. How bad… not going there, but he got it. And she was also a teammate. David wouldn’t be a good team leader if he didn’t make sure everyone was squared. So, Harper just stepped back while David paced and remove the helmet and run a hand through his hair.

Torres finally made her appearance, jumping out through the back of the ambulance. She was giving last minute instructions to the medics and saying something to Anderson. David stopped pacing and took a couple of steps forward but stopped. He shuffled on his feet, his eyes never leaving her, watching her movements.

Torres finally turned and acknowledged them, walking towards them. She offered a slight smile, “Anderson’s gonna be okay. Through and through. Tough girl.”

Harper was willing to joke, but David stepped in and asked, “And you? You okay?”

David stared at her as she stared back. She ended up teasing him saying, “Better than you. Least I didn’t decide to faceplant on a building.”

Harper couldn’t help but laugh at that, “Told him he was a crazy bastard Sombra. Almost as crazy as you.”

“You asked me to shoot.”

David watched the exchange between them. It ended with Harper flirting with her as usual and she shot him down and hard. It was nothing important, but it did relieve the tension a little. He wanted to laugh when Torres said, “At least I made you look badass with a girly shirt.”

Harper looked at the strip that was covering his injury and pouted, “Walking wounded here.”

“Walking yes. Wounded…” Torres got a teasing gleam in her eye. “Not a chance. That’s a scratch.”

“You wound me, Sombra, but I still love you.”

David raised his brow that Torres let Harper get away with that. Then again, he didn’t expect her to blow a raspberry at Harper as he started moving towards the medic to get a quick checkup. More likely they would be moving out soon and better to make sure that any injuries weren’t going to affect the job. He shook his head.

“You know you should get that checked out. You did take a couple of hard hits.”

David shifted to see Torres looking at him. He took in the torn sleeves, no doubt her tattoo was showing, and the abrasions and contusions on her arms and face. “I could say the same for you,” he said and gestured at her person.

“Mostly from tumbling out of a vehicle and falling a few feet from a freeway overpass and off the ladder to a fighter. Proof of clumsiness.” Torres shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing. “Whereas you hit the pavement twice, maybe three times and had a kissing date with a building. Not to mention…” She gestured at his chest reminding him of the shot he took to the chest.

“Like you said, walking, yes. Wounded… a scratch,” David replied, throwing her words back in a teasing manner. He started walking towards medical, knowing that she would follow. “And you broke your finger.”

“No big deal.”

“Not from where I’m standing.” He pointed at her hand, noting the stiffness. “You should get it checked out. Just to make sure it was set okay.”

“My intention,” Torres replied, following David’s pace. “I just needed to be able to move it.”

“And I get it.” David paused, trying to figure out what he wanted to say without coming off as an overprotective jerk. “Listen, Torres…”

“Section.”

David found that she had assumed an at ease position and her gaze was focused on him, ready to listen. He made a slight face and gestured, “Don’t do that. You’re not military.”

“And yet most people seem to expect me to act like it.”

“Just don’t. Be you.”

David watched the look of confusion cross her face before she dropped the position and just stood there. “That’s better. Torres… about everything…”

“I get it. I promise I won’t do it again,” she cut him off clearly thinking that it warranted what he said and did at Myanmar.

“No…” David shook his head and frowned at that. “I was just… concerned… and impressed at how you handled yourself. I didn’t expect you to be so familiar with President Bosworth.” He couldn’t help but chuckle since it still baffled him.

“Oh… that.” Torres cleared her throat before continuing, “She… requested me specifically. I don’t know why. Once in… I got to see a side that most people would never see. And she trusted my judgment. Kind of made it awkward when she directed her orders to me instead of Jones.”

“Still… you handled it well. Saved mine and Harper’s asses… looked after Anderson…” David took a breath and looked down before looking up and finishing, “I’m just glad that you’re on my team.” He felt his skin flush at that. Not exactly what he wanted to say, but…

“Glad to be here,” she said.

“Good.” David turned to head to the medics. This was not going to work out and he was crazy for trying.

“David.”

He paused and turned. Torres was giving a look of understanding. At least he thought so. “Yeah?”

“You can say it. You did it before. It helped.”

David looked around, at first not sure what she meant until he thought about it. He looked at her and offered, “Okay… Simone.”

“Talk more later. Job first.”

****

“Madam President, we now know how Menendez pulled it off,” Secretary Petraeus said. “It’s now clear that Menendez intended to be captured and brought to the Obama to execute his attack.”

President Bosworth watched the intel on the screen as SECDEF debriefed her. She sighed, “Spectre warned us of this possibility. Trojan horse. Odysseus.”

Petraeus nodded and pulled up the next set of data. “He used a Celerium device to infect our internal servers with a virus compromising our military satellite infrastructure. Bad news is, the drones are still his. He’s piggybacking on communication satellites all over the world.”

“What are our options?” President Bosworth was seeing the gravity of the situation and it looked to be an impossible one to get out of.

“If I may, Madam President,” a new voice entered.

President Bosworth turned and felt some relief, “I wasn’t expecting to see you, Spectre. Not after what happened in Yemen.”

Spectre stepped forward, looking like she was there for a casual date. “All the better to do what I do and move forward.” She reached over and tapped a few keys. “The good news is that I’ve been able to track the signals.”

“Haiti?”

“Yep,” Spectre replied with a nod. “SP assets are there.”

“And JSOC is in the sky right now. In T-minus ten minutes, we’ll be boots on the ground,” Petraeus added.

President Bosworth studied the feed, “How long before the drones get to the other cities?”

_I can answer that, Madam President._

President Bosworth watched as a small screen appeared to reveal a child in a long nightgown. It looked solemnly at her and the president nodded, “Go ahead, Addy.”

_With current rate and trajectory… ETA is approximately T minus ten._

“What about China?”

_Assets with SP have been alerted and they are working with Chinese officials. Spectre has coordinated with nearby governments to provide assistance as needed._

“Impressive,” Spectre replied with a knowing grin.

Petraeus cleared his throat slightly and added, “We’re launching a coordinated simultaneous attack on Haiti. We can trust Premier Chen now, he will not let us down.”

“He was trustworthy all along, Secretary,” Spectre pointed out softly. She looked at SECDEF and the president. “Sometimes chasing leads where they don’t exist can be what saves us in the end.”

President Bosworth wanted to believe that, but she couldn’t help but voice, “Is this it though? Is this the end?”

“All we can do is… pray,” Spectre offered.

There was nothing to do. President Bosworth thanked Petraeus for the briefing and excused him. He left, giving a look to Spectre. They shared a knowing look before Spectre moved to take the vacant seat. She studied the president as she rested her forehead on her hand. She stayed quiet, only glancing to make sure that her guard was still there.

“Tell me the truth, Spectre? What are our options?”

Spectre looked at President Bosworth as the woman looked at her with a serious and worried expression. The briefing was laying out the facts and making the decision there. What she was asking was a more in depth and honest opinion. It was something that had been a thing between them when they established regular communication. Looking at nothing in particular, Spectre diverted her gaze back to President Bosworth and replied, “I think ma’am, that we’ve done everything officially and unofficially to meet this head on.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Spectre sighed and leaned forward, “Madam President, I’m charged along with every Spectre operative out there to keep the back channels open in hopes of staving off disaster. Some of the things we do are just a small part of a larger working. Small and yet significant.”

“But Menendez planned everything down to getting captured and sabotaging the Obama.”

“True,” Spectre allowed, “But it would have been worse if Torres hadn’t been there along with Commander Mason. They made it to you and prevented you and other G20 leaders from being eliminated.”

President Bosworth looked at Spectre and smiled, “You don’t have to pretend like you do for CIA and the Joint Chiefs, Spectre. I know who you are and have always appreciated your candor.”

Spectre smiled back, “Well, it’s all that has been to keep Raul Menendez from knowing who I am. If it weren’t me, there are plenty of SP operatives that would take the mantel of Spectre.”

President Bosworth smiled at that and stood up. She gestured for Spectre to take a walk with her. “A little stretch may help and your bodyguard is here.”

“Bug is one of my operatives. Weren’t for him, we’d be dead in Yemen.”

“Oye, mate don’t be humble.”

Both women chuckled and nodded in agreement. President Bosworth cleared her throat and continued to walk with Spectre side by side. She thought about what she was going to say before saying, “I have to admit that I didn’t think that we would get this far. Some of your suggestions were… a little out there.”

“Usually they are, ma’am,” Spectre replied as she placed her hands behind her back while walking. “It was one of the gifts and curses that came in handy when I worked for the Company. Later it helped when planning contingency.”

“I remember reading that. You and the 141 laid low for months and still helped us despite the kill/capture order.”

“In the end, it’s about doing what is right,” Spectre replied with a shrug. “The 141 was all about fixing what a mad man started.” She looked at the president and added, “The hardest part is that not everyone will make it out. I knew that as I know now.”

“You’re worried about Agent Torres,” the president stated as matter of fact.

“I’m worried about all troops sent in.” Spectre offered a sad smile, “Doing this job, ma’am, I've learned that you can plan for every possible twist, but rarely does it work out that way. Something always goes sideways. In the end, all you can do is rely on the training and be willing to adapt. Best lesson I learned with Bravo.”

President Bosworth nodded in agreement. It was hard to see what was going on. She never thought that this would happen when she became president. In the end, she was glad to know Spectre and that there was one person that looked beyond one nation’s interest to a larger picture. “Still, I don’t know how you can handle it all.”

“Just because we have Menendez as central focus, doesn’t mean the world stops turning.”

It was a hard lesson learned and people died and nearly died when it was taught. Spectre looked up at the ceiling and took a breath. She glanced at the president, who was thoughtful. She added, “SP assets are trained to watch everything. Nothing is considered trivial. Like anything else, information is sorted and prioritized but not forgotten.”

“It was how we realized to look at Haiti, ma’am,” Roach added respectfully.

President Bosworth looked at the man and then Spectre, “Seems like we’re catching up.” She grinned slightly.

“Intel has to be verified. Plus, there were a few things that I had to look into.”

President Bosworth nodded at that, “Makes me wish I could have you as a part of my Cabinet.”

“An honor but restrictive. Besides, Baseplate would never allow it.” Spectre chuckled at that. “The man enjoys being a grandpa.”

“Which reminds me, what about your children? I know you were here for a conference and meeting when this all went down.” President Bosworth looked up in concern. She had met Spectre’s children once or twice. When it was a short trip, one or both traveled with her. With everything going on…

“They’re with their father and if I know him, he’s probably at a secondary location that we agreed on,” Spectre offered. She gave a reassuring smile, “A must we agreed upon. They are fine.”

“That’s good.”

Spectre studied the woman as they continued to walk. “Don’t worry too much, Madam President. I get the feeling that this will all end at Haiti.”

“You’re sure on that?”

“Considering JSOC sent their best team. And I added a couple of extras.” Spectre gave a wry smile. “Not to mention locals.”

President Bosworth stopped to look at Spectre. She studied the woman who was candid about a lot of her information but she also carried a humorous streak with her. Sometimes it was difficult to see the difference. “You have a long reach, don’t you?”

“SP has assets in place, Madam President,” Spectre replied in an official capacity, meaning it was don’t ask and don’t tell. Just trust.

President Bosworth nodded in understanding. “As long as Mason and Torres get it done.”

“No doubts about that.” Spectre signaled to keep moving. “After all, it seems that Menendez responds favorably to them. Who knows?”


	20. Chapter 20

“You keep messing with it, it won’t heal right.”

“Fuck you Harper. It fits funny.” Torres growled in frustration as she adjusted the splint on her finger for the umpteenth time. She adjusted it, not liking that she had to wear it, but it didn’t help that David had made it an order if she was going to go on this final push. She cussed at him in Spanish, knowing that he wouldn’t know the exact words but definitely know that she was pissed.

Harper chuckled as he walked towards Torres and took her hand in his. He fiddled with the splint, well aware that David was watching every move and probably shooting a look that said if he hurt her, he was cutting off his dick. He adjusted the splint and stepped back, “There. Try it now.”

Torres flexed her fingers, grinning that she could move it like she wanted. It was a flexible splint to give some stability since it was her trigger finger. She teased, “So you’re useful after all, Harper.”

“Plenty useful in a lot of things, sweetheart.”

“But not where it counts,” Torres shot back.

“Ooh,” Harper laughed as he stepped back more. “You are not afraid to pull out the big guns.”

“Standard loadout if I have to work with you.”

“Don’t you forget it.”

They shared a laugh as they adjusted their position on the transport. It was clear that Raul Menendez had planned his entire thing out. He had intended to get himself captured and then released the virus on the Celerium drive. Now they were screwed in terms of drones, but they traced the signal to Haiti, which was where they were heading.

JSOC had launched its teams and China was also aiding them to launch a simultaneous attack. They were being flown in and they were going to drop in from high altitude. Harper joked that it was going out in style. Torres told him he was fucking idiot.

“Seems like she’s fitting right in, mate.”

David shifted from where he was observing Torres and Harper interacting to face Jackson. After helping to clear up the mess on the Obama, he came in with orders to join up with David and his team to the final push. David was glad for the help, he just wasn’t in the mood to hear anything suggestive and voiced it, “She’s a part of the team, Jacks. That’s all there is too it.” He shot a look at his friend to make his meaning clear.

Jackson stared at David and noted the intensity and glanced slightly over where Torres was. He raised his brow and said, “I hear ya mate. Just know that assumptions are bad on your end. At least I know where I stand.”

_Time on target. Sixty seconds._

David would have said something but the pilot announced their ETA. He shook it off as he put on the helmet and walked to where his wings were. He glanced over to the Army Ranger that was going to monitor their drop and the man signaled that all was set. He looked over towards Torres as she geared up, making sure she could move her finger as well as could be.

He didn’t understand why she was being stubborn about going. Yes, she could move. It was her trigger finger though and no doubt she was feeling the pain. It had nothing to do about being tough as she made it clear when he suggested it before they shipped out. She went so far as to tell him not to be an overprotective ass and he took it. He wasn’t going to argue with it and if he really wanted to be honest with himself, he was glad she was stubborn and came along.

_Your HUD link clear?_

David signaled to the Ranger that everything was good. Harper, Jackson and Torres did the same along with the others that would be dropping in with them. He checked to make sure everything was locked and ready to go. He checked his wrist console.

_All right Section. You’re good to go._

David turned to his team, “Alright, listen up. We have our objectives. Shut down the transmission controlling the drones. Execute kill/capture order on target Raul Menendez.”

“I vote kill,” Harper piped up, “Taking him alive didn’t work out last time.”

“Aye,” Jackson added, “That was a bloody mess to clean up.”

“Well its mop up this time, Crumpets,” Harper countered. He gave a slight grin at Jackson and gave a hand sign.

“Don’t do tea, mate.”

There was a burst of laughter between the two. It allowed David to look at Torres. She was looking a little nervous about the whole thing and he approached her. “You okay doing this?”

“It’s not skydiving or gliding from mountain to mountain,” Torres replied in a low tone shaking her head slightly.

David gave a shoulder pat much like he would with anyone else on the team. “It’ll be okay. Just jump, deploy wings and follow us… follow me in. Got it?”

Torres had been watching at the doors were opening. She could see the other VTOLs getting into position and see the anti-aircraft being deployed. It had her nervous, true, but she was also nervous because of the feeling she had. She got the feeling that she was going to get answers from Menendez and she wasn’t going to like it.

David watched her and was concerned that she didn’t respond. He tapped her shoulder again, “Torres?”

_Time on target, thirty seconds._

The VTOL lurched to avoid a missile. David automatically reached out and steadied Torres even though she was hanging onto the strap for that. She was still staring at the open hatch and other VTOLs watching a few get taken out. He jostled her shoulder and tried, “Simone, you with me?”

Torres looked at David when she heard her name. She nodded, “I’m with you. Just… that didn’t feel right.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when the VTOL shuddered violently and sparks flew. They had been hit. David looked to see a hole blown in the side of VTOL and the alarm was blaring. He looked at the others and signaled to move, “Go! Go! Go!”

_Get out! Get out!_

David grabbed Torres and flung her out the hatch and made to follow just as the explosion occurred. He fell out, looking at the VTOL as it exploded in a fiery haze. He flipped his body to turn and spot his team while deploying the wings. “Control your descent!”

David could make out Harper and Jackson to the left, maneuvering to stay out of the way of the rockets other VTOLs. He scanned for Torres, but couldn’t see her. He cursed that he had just flung her out and didn’t bother to see where she was going or if she even managed to deploy the wings.

_SP064B is dead ahead. It appears she is following your orders, Commander._

“Hickam, aren’t you supposed to be ISR?”

_Haven’t had a chance to re-task. It’s much too fun hanging with you, Commander._

_Stay out of their fucking way, Sombra!_

David looked ahead as Torres managed to narrowly miss a VTOL. He was ready to say the same thing and it was tempting to cuss her out. This was going to be like fucking Myanmar if he wasn’t careful.

_Piece of fucking cake, Harper. Now shut up and let me drive!_

David felt his lip twitch at that. He focused on his descent, noting the others that dropped and were descending upon the compound. As long as they got boots on the ground, they were going to get this done. He just had to make sure that he didn’t do a face plant.

The enemy was not letting up on their fire as they made the final descent and touched down. It was much like skydiving since gravity was doing the work. He just had to run with it and get to a stable stance. Piece of fucking cake.

“C’mon bitch! You want to live forever?”

_Its apes, you idiot._

David nodded at Harper and brought up his gun as Harper said, “And how would you know that, Sombra?”

_I fucking read._

_Walked into that one, mate._

David shook his head as he and Harper advanced forward. “Supporting element one, say status!”

_Established containment western flank, one hundred series buildings._

_Chinese Special Forces are in support._

_Bloody hell, yeah. Spectre came through!_

David didn’t flinch at the mention of Spectre. He knew that it was more of a title than one person. He had been told that any asset could be called to be Spectre. He had a small hope that it was his friend and no doubt Torres was thinking the same thing. Keeping his mind on the task at hand, he commed, “SE2, are you up?”

_Affirm. In position to parallel your movement east side. Set on roof tops three hundred series building._

“Copy all. Main effort moving south. Updates as needed!” David took cover behind a building to assess and return fire. “Chinese Special Forces landing on the roofs. They’ll deal with the snipers.”

_Friendly CLAWS moving in for support! Use them for cover!_

_Copy that. Shifting CLAWS to provide cover fire. Don’t be lazy about it, Harper._

David had taken cover behind some structures, probably a generator. He felt his lip twitch at Torres insulting Harper with every other breath. At least she was on the ground and okay and, despite his feeling a little annoyed, she was covered by Jackson. “Hickam, you got eyes?”

_Tapping into surveillance. Located enemy positions on main stairwell. Looking at twenty plus._

“Send positions to Torres so she can direct the CLAWS.”

_Wilco._

_They’re making a hell of a last stand._

Harper wasn’t wrong about that. PMCs looked like they were going to fight to the death on this one. They were pulling out all the stops.

_Commander, rear units are being taken out before they hit the deck._

David shifted just in time to see an AA laser take out a unit. “Shit,” he muttered. Out loud he ordered, “Knock out the AA Laser mounts on the roofs!”

The explosions that followed told him that it was done. At least they had a better chance of getting troops on the deck. He scanned and noticed the SE units were moving into place. He warned, “SE1 and 2 are taking key positions to support our advance so watch your fire and don’t get sidetracked. We’re here to shut down the transmission and kill Menendez.”

_Don’t be a party pooper, Section. We’ll get ‘em._

David shook his head, “I want you to get those CLAWs into position, Sombra.”

_Already done. Like I said, we’ll get ‘em._

****

_Keep moving! Get up the stairs!_

Torres shifted to check her six from her position. Jackson was to her left covering and firing. He muttered in a joking tone, “Little slow there for a commander.”

Torres huffed and rolled her eyes as she shifted to her sniper rifle to take out a few PMCs on the rooftops. She switched back and retorted, “Just achieving our objectives. We’re all going to end up in the same place, Jacks.”

“Of course, love. Then you get to show off your mad skills,” Jackson replied with a grin. He leaned in close and added in a low voice, “And I’m gonna watch Section’s reaction.”

Torres elbowed Jackson and continued pushing forward. She was well aware that she was setting herself up to be in a similar position as she was in LA. She had the mission objective in mind and pushed forward. When it was clear, she took a chance and Jackson was right there beside her. She was not a soldier, and she admitted that, but she wasn’t the kind to delay. If she saw an opening, she took it.

“You know love, we shouldn’t get too far ahead.”

“Which is why, we’re holding here,” Torres pointed out with an annoyed look.

Jackson grinned, “Alright. Course we will need to grab more ammo soon.”

Torres couldn’t help but grin with him. She turned to focus on the PMCs that were massing near the main entrance. They had dug in on the left and picked off PMCs that got past them, heading to the others that were making their way forward. “Just cover our six. Clear the way for Section and the others.”

“Anything for you love. Can’t have the boyfriend get shot.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Jackson threw a wry grin at her before turning back to his job. “Oh whatever you want to make of it. I’m just here to make sure you don’t get into too much trouble. I’d like to keep my head for another day.”

Torres threw a dirty look at Jackson before turning to focus on what was in front of her. She switched to the sniper rifle that seemed to be part of her standard loadout. Harper wasn’t kidding when he said she went with the big guns. That and the fact that David insisted that she have it citing that you never know and that he was comfortable with her on overwatch. Unfortunately, the drop didn’t allow her to get to a position to set up. Plus, the SE units were setting up for that.

It was better this way even though this whole thing was a new experience for her. It had her appreciate more what David, Harper and the others did on a regular basis. They did all or nothing. She was civilian and despite the fact that she made friends with other agents around the world, things were done differently. And she could see how David and Harper would think she wasn’t up to the task. Of course, she ended up proving them she was capable.

In all honesty, her success could be more like a happy accident. True she had her brothers making sure that she wasn’t soft, they made sure that she was a lady. Certainly it would drive them crazy to find out that she was hanging out with JSOC SEALs and had gotten bumps, bruises and a broken finger for her troubles. Jaime would certainly have gotten the next transport from where his unit was stationed just to punch out David and that would be after he fussed over her like a mother hen. They didn’t like it when she announced that she had been accepted into the Secret Service.

Now she was in the middle of the largest manhunt for the biggest terrorist since Osama bin Laden and she had the bruises to support it. Yeah, she was going to have to explain that one. It was hell of a lot easier trying to figure out what was going on between her and David. And that was pushed to the back of her mind as she scoped out PMCs that ended up in her line of sight.

She shifted and noticed something that was barely visible around the planter. Her eyes widened as she relayed, “Troops be advised: Enemy CLAWs at the entrance. Anyone with high explosives, engage.”

_Copy that._

_On our way._

Torres shifted and looked for more PMCs to target. “Jacks, we need to shift.”

“Sure about that, love?”

Torres shifted to look around. More PMCs were starting to dig in and the CLAWs were in a defensive position. She nodded, “Yeah. We need to shift to lay cover fire.”

Jackson shifted to take a look. He couldn’t doubt the assessment and nodded, “Alright. Ready when you are, love.”

“Let’s do this.”

Torres was the first to move as she stood up and fired a couple of shots. She moved to draw fire as she took cover behind a planter. Her premise was good, but she didn’t anticipate the CLAW turning and firing at her relentlessly. She took cover as she heard the gunfire and hunched to not provide the enemy a target. She looked around to see where she could go since she couldn’t stay there.

_Love, you alright?_

“I’m good Jacks. I just need to get ahead,” Torres replied as she looked around.

_Don’t do anything stupid. There’s two CLAWs out there. One of them is gunning for you. Not to mention the PMCs taking station._

Torres looked around and squinted when the debris flew. The CLAW was still firing. It did if it caught a glimpse of her or someone hacked into it and was firing at her. Either way, she was going to have to move and be separated from Jackson. That was not going to go over well. She replied, “Well, I’m running out of cover here. I gotta move.”

_Let me get into position._

“No time.” Torres worried her lip as she glanced in the direction she knew David and Harper would be coming from and to where Jackson was holed up. She could hear the gunfire and knew that there was no way he was going to get into position to back her up. She had to move now or eventually get cut down by a CLAW. “I’m shifting now.”

Waiting until there was a pause, Torres sprinted towards cover. She heard the CLAW trying to track her and gunfire from PMCs. She also heard the barking of Spanish, so she knew that she was being tracked. Anyone that wasn’t a PMC was being tracked and fired upon. She dove for cover and slid behind some crates that were pretty heavy duty.

_Torres, you alright love?_

_Sombra, what the hell?_

Torres rolled on the ground and reached for a clip to reload. “I’m good. But this damn CLAW won’t leave me alone.”

It did seem the CLAW was tracking her as she moved. The only options she had was to keep moving to get away or take it out. She decided on the latter. She shifted to a crouching position and checked her corners. She wasn’t going to get caught unawares by a PMC.

_Stay where you are, Sombra. We’re coming to you._

“Like I can wait,” she muttered to herself. She readied her rifle and when the CLAW stopped firing, she came up and popped a few rounds at it. She had to aim in the right spot since CLAWs had heavy armor and if you didn’t have an RPG or Stinger to take it out… You had to be careful.

As predicted, the CLAW returned fire. She took cover and waited until she had another chance. Again she moved to shoot. She aimed for the same spot she was aiming for. It took a couple more times before what she was hitting gave way and the CLAW was down. Not for the count, but enough to relieve the pressure. “Enemy CLAW still operational, but on its way to being down.”

_You okay, Torres?_

“I’m good.”

She spoke took soon. She was suddenly under fire only this time from PMCs and from where she was at, she could easily be picked off. She had to move again. She blurted, “Dammit. Taking fire!”

_Sombra, where are you?_

Torres had started moving since it was clear that she could probably get killed by ricochet. This was not turning into a good assault, however you wanted to put it. She shouldn’t have gone ahead even with Jackson. She was regretting it now. This was not Los Angeles and definitely one of her faults. She was impatient with things. She had to move and move she did, finding herself inside the building. And there were PMCs with ASDs. Yeah that was smart.

She was astute enough to realize that if she didn’t draw attention to herself, she could wait it out. She could wait for the others and they could proceed. Then she would endure another ass chewing from David and she would deserve it since she was stupid about this. As she said though, she wasn’t a soldier, but she knew enough about tactics to know better.

She stayed under cover inside, not drawing attention to herself. If she came across a PMC, she would go for the kill. She just prayed that no one would notice her. She wasn’t going to get such luck when a PMC rounded the corner. She was quick though by grabbing him and getting him into a chokehold. She held on tight, remembering what her brothers taught her about fighting. While it wasn’t a thing for girls, they said that she wasn’t going to be a pushover. The white knight wasn’t always going to be around to save her; she had to help herself.

It was mean, but practical. It taught her self-reliance and the need to be independent. So she held on, making sure the PMC didn’t have a chance to let out a sound. If he did, it was over and she would be overrun. She gritted her teeth until she heard the man pass out. She dragged him to where he couldn’t be seen and took a moment to look around.

Seeing that she was inside and not noticed, she subvocaled, “Section, I’m in. Making my way to the server room.”

_Negative. Wait Torres._

“Section, I’m near it. I can shut down the signal.”

_Negative. That’s an order._

Torres rolled her eyes slightly at that. She had a lot to say about that. She wasn’t a soldier, but as she said earlier, she knew the chain of command. Sighing, she replied, “Copy that. Holding position.”

_Just stay there. Please, Simone._

Torres blinked at his use of her name. She had given the okay and she was realizing that he was using it to make her see reason. She had to give him props for that. She would listen and wait. “I will wh…”

She was cut off when she felt it. The barrel of a big gun poking at her lower back. She heard David call through the comms, but didn’t answer. She shifted to see who it was as she held her hands up.

“Don’t be rude, little one. Let David know where you are. Then you come with me and you will get your answers.”

Torres looked at Menendez. This was the second time he caught her. It then occurred to her that he had set it up to isolate her with the CLAW and then the PMCs. She said as a matter of fact, “The CLAW was targeting me to get me in here. You knew I would come.”

“I knew you and David would both come, but you have a different motive. You want to know what I know,” Menendez replied as he took her gun. He then ushered her forward. “I will tell you. First, be polite and answer David.”

_Torres? Torres, do you copy?_

Looking at Menendez, Torres reached for her comm and replied, “I’m here, Section. Seems like a repeat of the Obama.” She looked straight at Menendez with a pointed look.


	21. Chapter 21

_I’m here, Section. Seems to be a repeat of the Obama._

David listened to Torres’ response and tried not to lose it. He knew without her going into so much detail that she had met up with Raul Menendez. He took a couple of breaths and tried to think.

“What the hell does he want with Sombra?” Harper had heard the transmission and David had filled him in on what happened onboard the Obama. He didn’t understand why Menendez was going after someone that just joined their team. It made it all sound like a coincidence that could spell trouble and he didn’t believe that.

David looked downward as he calmed himself. She was going to wait and then… He replied, “I don’t know. He kept taunting her on the Obama. About knowing her father.”

Harper looked at his friend. He didn’t like the fact that this was making things difficult. And he recognized that look. He patted David’s shoulder, “Come on, brother. You know what we have to do.”

David nodded. He knew what the mission was, but he also had to get her back. True, she accepted the job and the risks, but this wasn’t fair to her. He noticed how it bothered her after the whole thing on the Obama. He knew he couldn’t help her if he didn’t do the other. “I know.”

“Come on then, Section,” Harper urged, “You know Sombra will kick our asses if we fail this and I’m not looking forward to Spectre hearing about it.”

David moved as he garnered his focus. He shifted his weapon and called out, “Everyone on me! Push into the building!”

“You heard the man! Come on!” Harper lifted his weapon and shifted forward.

The front of the building had been cleared once the CLAWs had been taken out. It helped that they had the SE teams in position take them out. The front was littered with bodies of PMCs that had been taken out. Harper had been right that they were making a last stand. To David that didn’t matter. Somewhere inside was Torres and she was being held by Menendez who was no doubt tormenting her. He took point and led the way.

They had dug in within the building and as soon as they saw him, they open fired. David grunted when the ricochets hit. He was lucky nothing hit him, but the debris could easily make him a target. He moved to take cover and signaled to the others to take cover. It was then that he noticed friendlies moving into position. That would help gain the advantage and they were already thinning out the enemy. He warned, “Check your fire! Friendlies upstairs!”

They filed into the lobby of the building and it looked to be pretty empty with a few holdouts. They were easily taken out, allowing them to run through. It only made David more determined to finish this and get Torres back. Not to mention end Menendez. It was capture/kill on the man, but David was inclined to agree with Harper in that it didn’t work out to capture the man. It was better to kill him and end this once and for all.

David checked it out and found the way that would lead them to the main server room. He signaled, “This way! Downstairs!”

It seemed that the PMCs were well stacked. Once again David found himself under fire and nearly hit. A shot hit near his shoulder and sent debris flying that hit the side of his head. It wasn’t major, but it was enough to make him turn away and put him in the line of fire to be hit. He bumped into a wall and slipped downward. It was enough to save him from eating a bullet and allowed him to regain focus. “Dammit! Return fire!”

_Commander, I am trying to access the security and blueprints of the building. Security protocols are highly encrypted._

“Do what you can Hickam,” David replied as he returned fire. He ducked to reload and paused to add, “And try to find Torres.”

_Working on it. I heard._

David gave a slight grunt of acknowledgement. He was glad that the AI was working as best as it could. “Thanks Hickam.”

_I’m in. The server room is just ahead. Ninety meters. Tracking SP064B’s signal._

“Keep me informed.”

_Wilco, Commander._

David shifted his cover to take out the PMCs in the doorway that could prevent the advance. He slid on the floor since it was quicker that trying to get to his feet and move. It was not the best idea since there was shattered glass and debris everywhere. He felt the glass dig into his skin, but it wasn’t too bad. The enemy was his focus even as his HUD became active.

_Lt. Commander, we stand on the brink of global catastrophe. America and China face imminent annihilation from Menendez’ drones. We’re out of time. Locate that control room and shut down the broadcast signals._

It didn’t require acknowledgement. David knew what the score was and continued to push through the PMC infested halls. The drones were a problem and they had to fix this.

_Commander, I am picking up Agent Torres’ signal. She is in the control room._

“Good work Hickam. Let me know if anything changes.”

_Copy that._

That was the best news he heard. Of course, David knew that he couldn’t completely rely on that. Menendez could take what would transmit and move her. He added, “Hickam, see if you can get eyes.”

“They’re setting up defensive positions. Maintain fire on the lower level!” Harper had come up on David’s flank and split up to cover.

The upper levels had been cleared easily. They were setting up defensive positions on the lower levels. It only meant that they were close. Others were pointing out that there were enemy ASDs. That was going to make things difficult since it took several shots to bring one of those down. Luckily, they were easier to take out than a CLAW. Difficult, but manageable.

The only thing that could help is if they took control of the ASDs and reprogrammed. David called, “Hickam, we have enemy ASDs. We need to reprogram.”

_On it._

David saw his HUD display light up with Hickam’s work. Nowadays you didn’t need to have a direct link unless it was a closed system. As long as there was a wireless connection, Hickam could work his way in. He was still a ‘young’ AI, so he was still learning a few things. Addy was older, and she was slyer about getting into systems. David had seen her at work. Now it was Hickam’s turn.

_Done. Enemy ASDs now under our control._

David nodded and called, “Enemy ASDs now reprogrammed to support. Good work. Hickam.”

David moved with the rest of the unit to the lower levels. There were a few ASDs that hadn’t been reprogrammed and had to be taken out. David took cover behind some crates and took a shot when he had it. The others were taking up position and laying down fire. They were almost to the control room and he was one step closer to getting her back.

Once it was cleared, David moved forward, encouraging them, “Keep moving. Broadcast room is just ahead.” He turned and asked, “Hickam, is Torres still transmitting?”

_Affirmative. Signal is still in the broadcast area._

David nodded as he took down a PMC. “Main effort has located broadcast source. SE1, say status.”

_One hundred series building perimeter established._

“SE1, switch profile to checkpoint responsibilities. I want this place locked down.”

_Roger that._

There was no way they were going to let Menendez slip through again. Even if he did manage to trick them with Torres’ signal, there was no way she would help him escape. Not unless it was something that Menendez threatened near and dear.

_Oye, this shite is getting tense._

David felt his lip twitch. Just like his friend to come in when you least expected it. “Jacks, thought you were taking a break.”

_Nah. Wouldn’t miss all this fun. I’m sorry about Torres. Stubborn girl._

“Not wrong there. Listen, Hickam tracked her signal to the control room. If you break through…” David had pressed his back again a crate and moved to reload his gun.

_Not a problem. I know._

“You’re a good friend, Jacks.”

_I just like Yanks in general. Jackson out._

David shifted and saw Jackson push forward. The man was good at blocking and assault and had a unique talent that earned him his designation within Spectre’s purview. David didn’t want to think what she designated his team as or him for that matter. Finally loaded, he moved to continue the assault just as Jackson called out enemy quad drones along with a few PMCs. They had made it to the broadcast room. They just had to get to the control room and shut the signal off.

David came in as Jackson and Harper took up positions along with the others to take out the quads. He got a couple of PMCs as he charged up the stairs to the control room. “Push forward, we got one chance at Menendez.”

David turned before feeling a searing burn cross his shoulder. He twisted and pressed against a wall or a server enough to see a quad drone above him and it was moving in to kill. He was about to bring up his weapon when it exploded, and he had to lift his arm to shield his face from the debris.

“Metal bastards,” Jackson’s Manchester accent entered.

David looked up and winced from the burn on his shoulder. He had been hit but it was a graze. It burned though, and it was deep. “Fuck,” he muttered.

“You’re not invincible, mate,” Jackson said as he offered a hand.

David took it and got up. He couldn’t worry about it now and it wasn’t like he was shot per se. “I’m good,” he replied as he shook it off. “Come on.”

Jackson gave a lopsided grin as he followed David. Harper wasn’t too far behind. They were almost there, and Jackson wasn’t going to let David be stupid especially after getting hit. He covered from behind since there were still PMCs that were guarding the place.

They made it into the room to find it with four to five PMCs. David cast a quick look around and found that there was no sign of Torres. He felt the air go out of his lungs. He had figured that it might be a deception, but he had a small hope that she was just there to be used as bait and heaven forbid that they killed her.

_I’m sorry, Commander. I tracked the signal…_

“It’s okay, Hickam,” David muttered. “I figured.”

“Section shut down that transmission,” Harper barked.

David knew he had a job to do. He went over to the console. He tapped into it and growled in annoyance, “My console crashed.” He looked over to see Jackson trying, “What about you Jacks? You in?”

“No, mate. Menendez is transmitting a live broadcast,” Jackson replied as he tried the console. “He’s doing it now.”

Suddenly the screens came on with Raul Menendez. David looked ahead and felt his throat convulse. He knew that it was minute, but he could see it. He saw the small portion of Torres’ shoulder in the frame. At least he thought it was. His focus turned to the broadcast and the fact that they couldn’t get in.

_Opulence is sinful, and we all pay for it. Los Angeles was the flagship of their absurd materialism, so I destroyed it._

David tried again but couldn’t get in and turned to Jackson, “I’m locked out. Can you get into the system?”

Jackson shook his head. David tapped his ear, “Hickam, can you get in?”

_Working on it._

_They thought I wanted to kill the President. Madam President, I could have buried you a million times over. No… I wanted you to see it, to feel what it’s like…_

_Commander, the drones aren’t being controlled from here._

“What?” David felt his eyes widened as he looked around.

_There is nothing I can do. I can’t regain access to the hijacked drones. The signal must have been created as a diversion or something._

_Two billion people exist in abject misery. Tyrannized by war…_

David looked at the screens to see the drones flying over. They were going to strike New York. That is until they exploded over the city. It had everyone in the control room wondering what the hell happened.

_Madam President, your war machines are no more. Your military is crippled. You cannot stop us now. Cordis Die, rise and strike while they are down. Strike now and strike deep!_

The screens went blank. There was nothing more to do there. David couldn’t help but feel the disappointment. Not just the fact that they had been duped again, but the fact that he still hadn’t found Torres. “Alright,” he said, “Let’s move out.”

“Section, we got a body. One of ours. He’s been stripped of his uniform and kit,” an Army Ranger pointed out and moved into position to check it out.

David felt a chill down his spine and knowing Raul Menendez… He ran towards them, “Wait! Don’t move him!”

The next thing he knew there was an explosion and a body hurtling towards him. He heard yells, but he felt winded and the back of his head ached from smacking the ground. He gritted his teeth as the sirens went off in response.

****

Torres heard the explosion as she continued to walk with Menendez. She didn’t like that she was in this position again; that he was going to use her to get past the checkpoints that the SE teams would have set up. David would have re-tasked to prevent people from entering and exiting the building while searching for Menendez.

“You do understand why I am doing this.”

“I understand that you want everyone to feel what you felt when Josefina died. What I don’t understand is why you are targeting me.” Torres paused and turned to look at Menendez. She narrowed her eyes at him to demand the answers.

Menendez regarded her for a moment before reaching out and touching her face. He watched as she tried to inch away as he fingered the injuries she had received from Los Angeles. “You are much like her. Full of spirit and fire, little one.”

“I am not her,” Torres replied as she stepped back from Menendez’ touch.

“No, you are not,” Menendez agreed, “But she would have been like you.” He shifted his weapon but kept it in position to get her to comply with what he wanted. “I know you want answers. Surely you see the truth.”

Torres kept a glare on the man as she stood there. She had no weapon except her hands and feet and she wasn’t confident that she could get away cleanly since she suspected that if she pissed him off enough, he would kill her. She shook her head, “No I don’t. You lured me in, captured me and used my comm signal to make my team think that I was in the control room.”

“Only to make sure David made it.” Menendez leaned forward and gave a knowing smile, “I know he will come for you. If not to kill me, he will to save you.”

“Section knows our objectives.”

“Do not try to sell me on that, la pequeña,” Menendez barked at her. He urged her to keep moving. “You may have killed DeFalco, but it was only after he shot David.”

Torres could have made an excuse, but it would do no good. Instead, she changed the subject, “Then why me? What do you need me to know?”

“The truth, my dear.”

“And what is that?”

Menendez was quiet and didn’t answer right away. They were nearing a checkpoint and he signaled her to be on her best behavior. He gestured with his weapon.

“Checkpoint 4 we have unidentified persons approaching.”

Torres stiffened. She figured that David would have figured out that Menendez was going to escape wearing that uniform he stripped from a soldier. He would have warned the checkpoints. She didn’t know since Menendez removed her radio. She was completely in the dark. And she was weaponless and had nothing to identify herself with.

“Halt! Hands up and drop your weapons!”

“We’re Americans,” Menendez replied, “Take it easy.” He also gave a nudge of encouragement to Torres.

Torres swallowed and said, “I’m Special Agent Torres attached to JSOC counterterrorism unit under command of Lt. Commander David Mason. Authorization… S064.” She deliberately gave the wrong access authorization and hoped that the checkpoint guys would understand.

“Orders are no one passes. Stop where you are.”

Torres stood there. She wasn’t going to risk it. Yet, Menendez was not the type to go quietly. She listened as Menendez tried to smooth his way out saying that they were on the same team. Didn’t he realize that David gave the order. Then it occurred to her that the man did know that. What happened next, had her move into action.

Menendez had the element of surprise and took down the checkpoint. Torres took the opportunity to dive for cover since some of the men returned fire, but not sufficient enough to take down Menendez. She covered her head more to protect it from the other explosions as it came crashing down that Menendez had set the place to explode in order to cover his escape. It was short lived as she was grabbed roughly and hauled to her feet.

“Do not cower, little one. It is beneath you.”

“You bastard,” Torres growled. She took a step forward but was stopped by Menendez point his gun at her.

Menendez looked at her and growled, “Do not test me. I won’t kill you. It is a matter of honor. But I will stop you from trying to stop me.”

Torres heaved angrily. This wasn’t making much sense to her. “I will do what I must,” she huffed, “You are considered an enemy of the world. A terrorist. It’s my job to stop you.”

“I know that little one.” Menendez shifted his rifle and gestured her to start moving. “But I can’t allow you to interfere. It is a matter of principle and honor.”

Torres stared at the barrel of the gun pointed at her. The man was telling her that he wasn’t going to kill her but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t hurt her. He did say that he would stop her from stopping him. She was not connecting why he was doing that. As far as she was concerned, she was his enemy and no one important. Yet, here he was treating her like she was.

“Do not mistake my intentions. Principle and honor guide me as far as you are concerned.”

Torres continued walking forward. PMCs were running past them to take up defensive positions. She glanced at them and noticed how they didn’t bother to pay attention to her and Menendez. It occurred to her that this had been planned. She should have expected it. Menendez had always been one step ahead of them and always had contingency planned.

“I admit that I did not expect Spectre to put you on my path.”

“I was tapped to take you down,” Torres corrected through gritted teeth. “There is no coincidence or conspiracy.”

“So you say, little one.” Menendez moved to stand beside her. He gripped her arm and pushed her through. He barked at one of his men and they joined them to head down to the lower levels where he could make his escape. “But you and I know that Spectre does not make a move lightly. There is no corner that is hidden from the ghost that sees all.”

Torres didn’t say anything. She looked around. She could hear the sounds of gunfire and explosions. She glanced at Menendez as he looked forward and at the guard that was with them. She had to do something, so she blurted, “Then… why do you claim to know my father?”

Menendez stopped short of reaching the door that would lead to his escape. He turned to look at Torres as she stared defiantly at him. “I do not claim. I knew him.”

Torres took a daring step forward. She kept a defiant gaze. “You couldn’t have known Papa. He believed the opposite from you.”

“He believed in freedom and justice for all people,” Menendez countered with a low growl. He pulled her close just as a major explosion occurred. The roof above began to collapse and he gave a grin. He looked at her and continued, “You want to know why I will not kill you little one?”

Torres had tried not to flinch when the ceiling collapsed. “Principle and honor,” she spat. “That’s all you’ve ever said. It’s not an answer.” She turned to leave despite the fact that there were guns pointed at her. She was only stopped when she was grabbed and turned to look eye to eye with Menendez.

“Because I am your godfather!”


	22. Chapter 22

David winced from the weight of the body on top of him and coughed from the smoke. He winced slightly since his wounded shoulder hit but focused on getting the body off of him. Of course, Menendez would set a trap to cover his escape. That also meant that he was well ahead with Torres, meaning…

David staggered to his feet since he felt rumblings from other explosives. The alarms were blaring because of the explosions. Wincing, he checked his shoulder and noted the trickle of blood from the bandage and looked around. Jackson and Harper were staggering to their feet. Jackson was sporting a cut to his brow and his cheek was scraped. Harper looked like he was getting a bruise on his eye and there was a patch of red on his arm from his injury in LA. “You both okay?”

“I’m good,” Harper said as he straightened up.

“Same here though I feel like beating the shite out of someone,” Jackson added as he rolled his shoulders.

“You’ll get your chance, Jacks,” David replied rolling his own shoulders. “Let’s move out.”

Harper nodded and took point through the only way out of the building that was covered by their troops. David followed suit and Jackson took up the rear. They had an enemy to catch and a teammate to recover.

_Section, this is SE2. We’re monitoring multiple explosions across the facility._

“It’s Menendez. He’s trying to cover his escape.” David rounded a corner to be met with oncoming fire from PMCs. He slipped and fell to the ground to avoid getting hit, but he had to scramble to get back to his feet. He returned fire and took cover while Harper moved up. “All stations this net. All checkpoints detain anyone attempting to leave AO… even those in uniform.”

_He still will try to get through. More likely he will force SP064B to use her clearance._

That occurred to David as well. He knew Torres would refuse, unless Menendez threatened something important to her. There was one thing that was to their advantage though. “But they don’t know what she looks like.”

_But they do know her clearance and distress codes, Commander. If you recall the code package that was issued when Spectre assigned assets…_

“I remember.”

_If you know Agent Torres as well as I…_

“She’ll use the distress codes. Let’s hope it slows them down, Hickam,” David replied as he rounded another corner and fired on the PMCs that were coming at them. Despite the fact that they were in a building that was on fire and coming down around them, they were going to fight to the bitter end.

_One can hope. I will try to gain access to the systems. Try to locate HVT._

“Copy that.”

_Checkpoint four. We have unidentified persons approaching. Halt! Hands up, drop your weapons._

That was it. David reloaded and relayed, “Push checkpoint four’s location to my HUD.”

_We’re Americans. Take it easy._

_I’m Special Agent Torres attached to JSOC counterterrorism unit under command of Lt. Commander David Mason. Authorization… S064._

That was it. David felt his throat convulse as he pushed forward. Jackson came up on his right to cover the flank. Torres had just told the checkpoint that they weren’t friendlies. Of course, that could mean that they would target her too. If that were the case, he hoped she would do what they say and show she wasn’t a threat.

_Orders are no one passes. Stop where you are!_

_Relax. We’re on the same team._

David heard the pops on the other end. It took a lot of strength to not react to the possibility that Torres was caught in the crossfire. He had to trust that she knew how to get herself out of trouble and take cover. He had to focus on the mission. Schooling his features, he sent out, “Checkpoint four is down. We need to move!”

_Pushing as fast as we can, mate. Seems like they are determined._

“They’re just buying time for Menendez to escape,” David replied. He took cover behind some crates and took a moment to ascertain the situation. Another explosion came from the left and he was hearing Spanish. He had an idea and asked, “Jacks, you feel like doing something crazy?”

_Depends, mate. What do you have in mind?_

“I need the devil’s juggernaut,” David replied as he looked at nothing in particular as a panel exploded. The crate he was behind provided cover. He winced when he heard the feedback in the comms. “Jacks?”

_Wilco. The devil’s breath is coming._

David nodded and turned to get into position. “Harper, be ready.”

_You got a plan, Section?_

_You blokes call it the devil’s winds._

_Hells yeah!_

David felt his lip twitch and listened for the cue. It was all on Jackson since he basically gave him point. Knowing his British friend, it was more of an action than giving the word and he got it the moment an explosion came, and it wasn’t from Menendez’ side. It was followed by Jackson shouting back at the enemy in a language that sounded fierce and it was enough to distract them. It allowed David and Harper to follow suit.

It was how Jackson got his designation within Spectre’s network. It was more of a joke and reference to what the man could do. Jackson was good at tech, but he was good at explosions and making it seem like one person was more than they seemed. The story went that he and one other teammate were caught and surrounded by the enemy. They had the choice of waiting for the enemy to come to them or take the fight to them and go out with a bang. They chose the latter.

Jackson had taken the lead using a rigged explosion and started shooting like a mad man. He also began shouting at the enemy making it seem like there was more than one and it sounded ferocious. It certainly scared the hell out of the enemy especially when one man charged and took out more than half of the enemy and didn’t get hit in the process. It earned him a reputation for being the devil and when a CO called for the devil’s breath, that meant Jackson was taking lead.

No one knew what it was that Jackson said when he shouted. When David asked him, Jackson laughed and said a phrase he had learned. It was actually Zulu and not even a war cry. When Jackson translated it for David’s benefit, it had him and Harper laughing so hard that they nearly passed out. It was working now as it thoroughly startled the PMCs and allowed them to push through the thick of it. At least it seemed that way.

_Watch out, Section!_

David had moved forward until he heard Harper’s warning. He stopped, but that didn’t stop the sparks from gunfire and him crying out in pain. He pressed against the wall and looked where he got hit and saw the red blooming on his other arm. He looked up and squinted. He saw the flicker and realized what was going on and took aim and fired.

The PMC who had been using camouflage went down and David called out, “Watch out for camo!”

More bangs went off as Jackson and Harper moved, firing at PMCs. Some were invisible. David checked his arm and saw that he wasn’t going to be able to do much except get it out before it did any other damage. “Cover me,” he called to no one in particular.

“Gotcha. Section.”

_Covering from high._

David nodded and turned to his arm. He flipped out his knife and took a deep breath before sticking it in. He grunted as he twisted the knife and popped out the round. It landed with a clink on the ground and David panted out a couple of breaths as he realized he had been holding in his breath. He looked at the hole in his sleeve and the incised wound he made and breathed while he tore his sleeve to make a makeshift bandage to pack the wound.

“You okay, Section?”

“Yeah,” David gritted out as he tied it off. He took a breath once it was done and looked around. There was still some PMCs, but the load had been lightened. He heard a shot come from above and joked, “Still raining hell, Jacks?”

_You asked for the devil’s breath. You got it._

David gave a dry chuckle at that. He looked at his arm and he was good to go. He paused when Harper asked, “You sure you’re good, bro?”

David got to his feet, “Yeah.” He straightened out and looked at Harper. “Gotta get ‘em. Find her.”

Harper nodded and gestured, “Come on.”

David hoisted up his weapon and readied his focus on the fight. They moved forward returning fire when it was fired upon him. It was difficult since there were still some explosions going left and right. It shook the foundations and had the three of them stumble on their feet. David crashed into a bulkhead and steadied himself just in time to bring his gun up and save Harper from getting a bullet, dropping the PMC that rounded the corner. There wasn’t much time to talk except to give a silent nod and keep on going.

Jackson was waiting for them trying to hold off fire and trying to open the bulkhead. He joked, “Oye, you’re slow.”

“How much do you need?” David checked in while keeping his eye out.

“Hold ‘em off for a few more seconds,” Jackson replied as he worked on the door.

It seemed to take longer as David and Harper fired on PMCs that seemed to come out of nowhere. Sparks were flying from compromised systems and explosions that were still going off. It seemed that Menendez was going to take down the building no matter what. Trailblazing destruction seemed to be the choice of the day.

David tried not to get anxious as he covered Jackson. He knew the man was good at what he did, and he just needed the time to do it. He resisted kept up the cover fire until he heard, “Got it. Oscar mike!”

David tapped Harper and started moving. The bulkhead only opened part of the way, but it was enough for them to slide under. Jackson waved them through and was the last one under the door. David looked around, suspicious since there was no one there, no PMCs in that room. He noted Jackson moving on the right and turned to see Harper move to the left.

The explosion sent Harper staggering back. David felt himself stagger from the explosion and noticed that he seemed to be staggering down a hill. It was then that it occurred to him that the floor was collapsing. It dropped, sending all three of them to their knees and David flailed his limbs trying to find purchase and watched as Harper slid and fell through.

David found himself falling and prepared for the fact that he might die or be seriously injured. He just had to do what he could. He moved his limbs to propel himself as he fell. At the last moment, his eyes lighted on piping or rebar or something and reached out and grabbed it. With gravity doing its thing, his body jerked, and he felt the strain on his injuries and almost lost his grip but managed to hold on and moaned in pain. He gritted his teeth and held on, realizing that he was griping his handhold with the arm that had taken a bullet.

“Because I am your godfather!”

****

Torres looked at Menendez in disbelief. It was like hearing the punchline to the worst joke in history. That man… was her godfather? She took a step back. “No.”

“It is true little one,” Menendez said, “You father named me as such when you were born. Even when I found out his true loyalties, I have never laid a hand on him or your mother.”

Torres shook her head, “That is not possible. He would never get in bed with the likes of you!”

“Did you even consider that he was more than what he led you to believe?” Menendez stepped forward. “Like it or not, you are family and while it is a disappointment, I cannot raise a hand to kill you. Though perhaps those you once called friends might.”

Torres felt like a shot went into her heart. That was a possibility. Maybe not killing her but doubting her loyalty and she would forever be under scrutiny. Sins of the father damned the children always. She felt her breath hitch as she watched one of Menendez’ men walk right by her and watched as the man nodded and prepared to escape.

“Come with me, little one. At least you will be with family.”

It was mocking to her as she looked at the hand that was held out to her. This man was not family. He was a terrorist. With a huff she slapped Menendez’ hand away and got a punch to the face in return. She knew the score. He wouldn’t kill her, but that wouldn’t stop him from hurting her. Not that it mattered.

With a roar, she charged at Menendez and grappled with the man. She threw a series of punches and kicks. The man defended himself and landed a few good ones on her person. She managed to grab on one of his arms and twist it behind him, so she was holding him from behind. She held fast saying, “You are not my family. No matter what you say.”

“Careful, little one. You cannot escape what has been done.”

“We’ll see about that.”

“You may try.”

Torres struggled against Menendez’ resistance until he broke the hold. He grabbed her and locked her into a chokehold, his arm wrapped around her neck. She gritted her teeth and reached up to try and pull hair, gouge skin… anything. She did manage to scratch him, but it only made him hold her tighter and she felt the air in her lungs start to diminish. She shifted and looked up and she saw him.

David was hanging from rebar or something and he was looking right at them. She shifted and spotted Harper on the ground and rebar was sticking out of his leg and she couldn’t see Jackson anywhere. Yet, there were a couple of PMCs there. She looked back up and caught David’s gaze. He stared at her with a tense look full of meaning of what he was going to do. Understanding, she gave a slight nod.

She had to time it just right since Menendez was making to take her with him and in the chokehold if he had to. Just as David dropped from where he fell, she gave a hard elbow into Menendez, relying on her knowledge of the Kevlar vests to get the soft spot. She heard Menendez curse and stomped on his foot, which got him to release her. She just didn’t expect the hard backhand that spun her around.

“Sombra, look out!”

Torres heard the click of a gun being locked and loaded. She turned to see one of Menendez’ men pointing a gun at her. Menendez had turned to tell him not to fire. Her eyes were wide in fear and she jumped when she heard the sound of shots firing. She gasped as the shots continued, seeing the two PMCs going down and David sliding down in front of them.

She watched as David collided with Menendez, bringing out his tac knife and delivering disabling blows to the man’s leg and shoulder. She was stunned at what happened and gasped for air. She blinked as David hovered over the man growling and gritting his teeth, in position to really end this once and for all.

~0~0~0~0~

David had a plan when he looked at Torres. He had heard that sentence from Menendez and he saw the shocked look on her face. He felt the urge to tell her that it was a lie and not to believe it, but he didn’t know, and he needed the time to come up with a plan since he noticed that Harper was down, and he didn’t know if Jackson was dead or alive. All he saw was Torres outnumbered and Menendez was choking her.

When she saw him, he had a plan and signaled her and hoped she understood. She seemed to when she gave it all she got to get out of Menendez’ hold. It earned her a backhand, but by then he was already heading down. He did have a few seconds of terror when he saw the gun come up and not aim at him but her. There was no way that he was going to let that bastard hurt her.

_Sombra, look out!_

David heard Harper, but his focus was on the two PMCs that were aiming at her. He took out the first one with a couple of shots and it barely registered that they were head shots. The second one, he moved his arm gritted his teeth as he tried to control his rate of descent and aim. He popped off several rounds that hit the torso and he saw another come from his right and hit the neck.

He wasn’t going to question it since it cleared the path to Menendez. He pulled his tac knife and held it in his left and struck the left knee to bring him down. His momentum did the rest to allow him to body tackle Menendez and he drove the knife into the man’s right shoulder, wincing from the throbbing in his arm.

He could have been easily thrown off, but his weight held the man down and he was able to reach for the gun he had taken from a dead PMC on his way down. He barely registered the fact that Jackson came in from the left, wincing and hopping, but on his feet. He had his sidearm pointed at Menendez as if to dare the man to try anything.

David though had only eyes for Menendez and he stared down at the man, growling in anger. A thousand thoughts and feelings were reeling through his head as he stared at the man that killed his father and tormented Torres. He twisted his wrist to let the knife dig and twist, drawing out the pain that the man below him was feeling as he pressed the barrel of his gun to the downed man’s temple. He heaved a couple of growls as he stared down at him.

“Martyr me for Cordis Die,” Menendez grunted out before he smirked, “And let it be known she killed family.”

David growled as he struggled to hold the man down. Jackson was standing to his right and saying, “It’s up to you, mate. We have our orders.”

David knew that it was kill or capture. Either one would work. A part of him said that they should capture Menendez. Force him to right his wrongs. The other part said to kill him since there was the possibility the man had another contingency and it would bite them in the ass. He shifted to spare a glance at Torres and he didn’t like what he was seeing.

She was close to panicked breathing as she looked at him and Menendez. David figured that whatever was said affected her worse than he thought. He also thought that she was in shock and that she might have been hit. He couldn’t tell since she was sporting cuts from LA and new abrasions and cuts from the current engagement, and bruises forming from where she had been hit. He looked at her, catching her eye and silently asking what to do.

“Sí. Mátame. Mata a tu familia, pequeña,” Menendez taunted with a grin on his face. “Veremos cómo confían en ti después de esto. There is no hiding the truth.”

David looked at Torres and noticed the pale look on her face. He looked downward at Menendez. The grin that appeared angered David. Like it was telling him that no matter what he did, the truth would get out. What truth? He didn’t know, but he knew that Torres had the answers and it was paining her.

“Section, what do you want to do?” Jackson growled out, clearly impatient at his hesitation.

David took one last look. Whatever Menendez said, it wouldn’t be on Torres. He pressed the barrel against Menendez’ temple and pulled the trigger. The bang was loud and echoed throughout the room as he watched the man flop down. He was dead.

David became aware that there were heavy breaths being taken. Some were from him as he moved to get off the dead man. Some from Jackson as he breathed sighs of relief. Some were from Torres though hers were more shaky, like she was still processing what happened. He sat back on his heels and took a couple of breaths before getting to his feet.

“Oye,” Jackson called.

David looked at Jackson and they shared a look before glancing over at Harper. David started to move towards his friend but was held back by Jackson. He looked at the man and received a silent shake. It was followed by a slight gesture that had David shift to follow the direction it had been cast in. He looked at Jackson and nodded.

Taking a breath, David took a few tired steps towards Torres. She had managed to get her breathing under control and had her arms wrapped in front of her. She was looking at the dead body of Menendez and her thoughts were probably going a mile a minute. He could hear Jackson talking to Harper and saying that he got him. Looking at her, David took a couple of steps forward and said in a low tone, “Hey… are you hit?”

Torres glanced at him and shook her head and seemed to wrap her arms tighter around her. She voiced, “No. Just… just a few cuts. Nothing big.” She continued to stare at the body and brought a hand to her chin and started rubbing it in a thoughtful fashion.

David looked at the body and then at Torres before stepping into her line of sight. He waited until she looked directly at him to say, “And now? Are you okay?”

Torres worried her lower lip, chewing it slightly and aggravating the cut that was on it. The wound opened, and it started bleeding, but she didn’t notice, “I… I don’t know.”

David frowned at the blood that was oozing from her lip. He gently wiped it away, relieved that she wasn’t freaking out on him. He knew that it was going to be an elephant in the room and that he might as well admit it now. In a low tone, he said, “I heard what he said.” He saw her react in fear and continue, “And I don’t believe it, but I think we should talk. Okay?”

It was not comforting when she nodded but still looked fearful. It would be a conversation just between them for now. He could applaud her ability to pull herself together since she managed to get out, “I see you were more reckless than me. You’re hit, and Harper looks like a kebab.”

“Walking wounded, Sombra,” Harper said as he adjusted his weight to not be a burden on Jackson. He looked at David and added, “You had me worried, man. For awhile there, I thought you were gonna let that bastard live.”

David had gestured and gently put his hand on the back of Torres to push her along. He replied, “You okay, Harper?”

“Never better,” Harper grunted, “Crumpets is not that bad. For a devil that is.”

“Only on special occasions,” Jackson retorted as he escorted Harper out of the building, through the door that Menendez tried to escape through. He motioned for a medic to come over and assist.

David hung back with Torres as they walked out. They all looked a little worse for the wear, but they were alive and walking. They just needed a moment to process the fact that it was over. David looked around at the personnel moving, taking care of wounded, both military and civilian. He heard Torres’ breath hitch slightly and she moved closer to him. He turned to look at her saw her looking at a medic rendering aid to a young girl. He silently reached out and grasped her elbow, making her look at him.

They shared a silent look of understanding until a noise broke it. They looked to see a VTOL lifting off and simultaneously lifted their arms to protect their faces from the wash from the engines. David couldn’t help but smirk since there didn’t seem to be a point since they were already dirty and scraped up. He turned to see her with the same look and nodded. It was over.


	23. Chapter 23

“Hey.”

Torres looked up from where she was leaning against the rail and absently looking at a tablet. She looked around as if to expect someone else coming. There was no one except the occasional orderly at the field hospital that had been established on Haiti to take care of the wounded. She turned her focus to the person that found her and couldn’t help but say, “Hey yourself.”

David had watched her reaction and felt a little hurt that she was that cautious, but he didn’t blame her. He studied her and noted how attentive she was, but she was hiding. He ventured, “Can we talk?”

“Are you cleared?”

David cleared his throat once he realized that he was going to growl at her. Of course she would ask. She was the one that insisted on it. And he had to agree to it. He needed it anyway since the arm he dug the round out of was starting to ache and both wounds had opened and were bleeding. So, he agreed to it stating that she had to get checked out too.

It was no surprise that she was cleared before he was. She had a few scrapes and bruises, but nothing like getting shot. Giving a slight eye roll, David replied, “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“True,” Torres offered with a slight smile. “But you could’ve skipped out before the all clear. That I could see you doing. Harper… not so much.” She chuckled slightly before turning to walk away.

David felt his lip twitch at the joke and followed her. She wasn’t running away. She didn’t want people eavesdropping. And he didn’t blame her for that either. So he followed until she found a place that was fairly shielded from prying eyes. He joked, “You know this could convey an idea.”

“Better that than…” Torres replied as she turned to look at David. “Than what the elephant in the room is.” She pressed her tongue on the top of her teeth before worrying her lower lip.

David took a step forward to make sure he could hear everything. “Speaking of… you wanna talk about it?”

“I promised,” Torres nodded, looking more at his chest than his face. “And… you deserve to know. Team leader and all.” She cleared her throat as she struggled for the words to say. She looked anywhere for inspiration.

Aware of this, David countered, “Okay. You know I heard what Menendez said.”

“Not to mention Harper and Jacks…”

“And they know to shut their mouths.” David shifted to emphasize his point. He paused and took in the way how Torres was standing. “So…” He shrugged his shoulders.

Torres relaxed and nodded. She rubbed her elbows more for reassurance and took a breath. “You heard right. About Menendez claiming to be my… my godfather.”

David stood there. He knew she wasn’t going to lie about it. He was just going to be patient and let her say what she wanted to say on her own terms. “And?” He prompted her when it was clear she was hesitating.

“And… I think he might be right.” Torres looked up to look David full on in the eye. She swallowed slightly as she continued, “He… said a few things and seemed so sure about knowing Papa.” She looked away, frowning at what she was saying. “Talking about family…”

“And it is possible that Menendez was just using a pressure point. You said something familiar and he played with it.” David shifted back to give her a little room as she seemed to look anywhere but at him. “He could have read about you and used it.”

David would have continued, but he stopped when she held up the tablet she had been holding. She still didn’t look at him but it was clear that she expected him to take it. So he did, glancing at her. He looked at the tablet to what she had been looking at. His eyes widened slightly and he looked at her, “Spectre?”

“Alive and kicking.”

David frowned slightly since her tone didn’t have that lightheartedness when referring to his old friend. He was relieved that his friend was alive. He didn’t think there was much that could take her out so easily. He could just imagine that conversation with her husband. He turned to look at what he was looking at.

It was a video. It looked pretty old, like it had been recorded in old school and then digitized. He could tell it was dated because of what was in the background, including the wall calendar that had the date. Judging by what he was seeing, he had a pretty good idea what it was before playing it. He glanced at Torres before hitting the button.

_This isn’t protocol but to hell with it since I have been in my position with the Company for a long time and tomorrow starts the real work. And to be honest I never thought he would approach me._

_Tomorrow begins a new life and one that will probably tear my family apart and they don’t know. And yet_ he _said that contingency was made. I still have no idea what made him pick me out of all the other agents._

_As I said, tomorrow, I go to Panama. Luckily my beloved wife is also assigned there. Less explanation and she knows not to ask. As far as the official record is, I am an attaché to the diplomat. And all because that puta Noriega betrayed us…_

David frowned at the screen. So far he put together the fact that Torres’ father was an agent, CIA more likely, and her mother was assigned to Panama. Probably the diplomatic thing. He glanced at Torres and noticed she was watching him with a pensive expression; as if she were waiting for the ax to fall on her neck. For what, he didn’t get, so he kept watching.

_… Most people ask why it is so easy to turn someone. They don’t understand for the most part. But I can understand why. I can understand why people flock to the man. He brings the solution that should be easy to solve but politics get in the way as well as greed. He is a murderer and a drug lord, but the people love him. Strange, crazy even, but I get it. It’s just hard trying to explain to three little boys who hero worship people that stand for justice…_

_… I have been undercover for nearly a year now. I am a trusted lieutenant. How still has me wondering since I am certain he knows I am not who I say I am. I know he has people at the Company under his thumb. This is a dangerous game and yet… the odds were calculated. It’s a calculated risk…_

“So your dad… he knew?”

Torres didn’t say anything, but David noted the expression on her face. She looked… scared. It didn’t sit well with him. He studied her for a few minutes even though she wasn’t looking at him. She kept her gaze on a fixed point like she was trying to process everything. He sighed and continued watching the video, skimming through it since it was clear that it was video diary.

_… This is not related to the job, but something wonderful happened. We are to be blessed with another child. The boys are ecstatic in getting a younger sibling and don’t care if it’s a boy or girl. My wife wants a girl. Me… it doesn’t matter because it will be my child and loved…_

_… He knows about her, mi hija. He knew about my wife and her condition. Goes to show that he has a way of getting in everywhere. Is it safe? I don’t know. But he shows happiness for me and genuinely congratulated me…_

_… This is the hardest and probably cruelest thing I am doing since accepting this job. I feel like there is no choice because he keeps asking about her. I am in so deep, it is expected of me. Compañeros are not something to take lightly._

_This is for you mi hija, I hope that when you see this, you will understand why I did this. It was ultimately to protect you. Being with the man, he has a sense of honor and principle. He will never hurt you despite what will go down soon. They never teach us about this at the farm. It’s a hard lesson to learn._

_So… and may God forgive me… I will go and declare Raul Menendez as the godfather to my daughter Simone Sofia Itxaro Torres…_

“He wasn’t lying,” Torres said softly.

It was the first time she spoke. David glanced up and saw the quiet expression on her face. She was looking at the paused video as if it were a lifeline almost. He glanced down at the screen and saw the man’s face. It looked like he had the world on his face; like he had been wrestling with his decision for a long time.

“I’m not mad at Papa,” Torres said. Her lip twitch slightly like she wanted to smile. “I get it was something he did not want to do.”

“And?”

Torres breathed a soft breath and looked up at David. “It scares me a little,” she admitted. “Because nothing ever bounces back from damnation by association.” She looked out towards the landscape. “But it might not be so bad since Spectre’s word is highly valued. And it’s not like Spectre hasn’t been in front of committees before.”

“Doesn’t mean that you’re okay with it,” David pointed out.

“I’m not,” Torres admitted. “I understand why Papa did what he did. It was obvious he didn’t like it…” She broke off and sighed like she was bored. “Spectre gave this to me to tell me the truth. In the end, Papa may have saved me from being targeted. Maybe Menendez did know he was not who he said he was, and Papa took preemptive measures.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Makes a mess of things.”

“Not really,” David replied as he lowered the pad. He looked at Torres as she stared at him. He shook his head slightly, “Doesn’t change who you are.”

“And who am I?”

It sounded cliched, but it was a legitimate question and David saw she was asking for what he meant by that. He had plenty to say. Some were comments that were not really appropriate since it was hardly the time or the place to say them. He replied, “You’re Torres,” and gave a shrug.

“Huh,” Torres replied putting her hands on her hips and raising her brow in a smirk.

David was pleased that she was feeling better about the whole thing. He grinned in returned and just swung the tablet around like it was nothing and shifted on his feet in a relaxed manner. “At first,” he admitted, “Someone who looked and still looks like they belong behind a desk but is pretty badass.”

Torres chuckled at that. It encouraged David to continue, “Badass in the sense that she thinks on her feet, kicks ass… and can shoot for the kill.”

Torres snorted at that and chuckled. She shifted on her feet and the grin that started on her face grew larger. She didn’t say anything but nodded as she listened to what he was saying. She sobered but still managed to keep it light in terms of mood.

David smiled, pleased that she was feeling better. “So, you get it?”

“I get that my skill set is valued,” Torres replied as she stepped forward with her hands behind her back. She looked to the side as she added, “Lord knows Harper says plenty.” Looking back at David, she finished, “Thanks, Section.”

David resisted groaning out loud, but he couldn’t help the look on his face as he replied, “You don’t have to call me that all the time.” He paused as she turned to look at him head on with a bland expression. He explained, “You’re more than a teammate, Sombra. You are badass in the field and I know you’re smart. I read your jacket and you helped with the Celerium worm. You’ve been with us ever since this started. You’re a friend.” He cleared his throat, unaware that his tone had gone low and husky.

Torres looked at David. She heard the change in tone. She blinked when he suddenly reached for her hand and turned it over in his. She watched as he inspected the splint on her forefinger. She had it checked out and it was fine but… She swallowed slightly and replied in a voice that was almost husky, “And... and I… and I was a pain in the ass. I don’t listen to orders and I get kidnapped twice.”

“You’ve saved mine more than that.” David ran his fingers over her broken finger. It was probably way overstepping his bounds but… “Which is why I’ll stand by you if it gets out about your family.” His gaze shifted to look at her with his intentions in his eyes.

Torres stared back, her mouth slightly open, not sure of what to say. She was aware a slight sound came out, but not discernable words. She looked downward, swallowing slightly as she watched David’s thumb gently rub her knuckle despite being splinted. Finally, she was able speak, “Thank you.” She cleared her throat and she could feel her cheeks flush with heat.

David watched her and stopped rubbing her knuckle but didn’t release her hand. He wanted to say more, but it wasn’t really the best time. Luckily, she spoke first, “I’m guessing next is paying Woods a visit. He’s going to want to know about things.”

David resisted rolling his eyes at that. Not exactly what he wanted to talk about, but he would run with it. “Maybe. You coming?”

“I… uh…”

“Please.” David swallowed slightly before repeating his plea, “Please, Simone.”

Torres looked up and raised her brow slightly. She really didn’t have an excuse and Spectre hadn’t said anything. And she did like the idea of spending time with David without talking about what they just went through. Giving a slight nod, she replied, “Okay.”

David smiled gently before turning it to a mischievous one. He then asked, “Itxaro?”

Torres narrowed her eyes at that. She smirked mischievously at that and teased, “Only those who are decent in Spanish get the answer to that one. And you can’t rely on Hickam.”

David had to laugh at that since he deserved that. He did say that his Spanish sucked, and she pulled out the stops saying that he couldn’t rely on her AI. Looking at her he found that she was laughing as well. The mood was considerably lighter and allowed him to tug on her hand to get her to follow. After all they had to clear their leave.

****

“I forgot how terrible a driver you are.”

Spectre snorted at that and rolled her eyes as she held the door open. She watched her companion get out and made sure he didn’t hurt himself. She retorted, “And that would be funny if I actually was driving. But I got a fucking babysitting service.”

“Now you’re wounding me, mate.”

Spectre looked at her friend and sweetly said, “You babysit me, Bug? Never.” She laughed when he barked his laugh and signaled the vehicles to move away. She turned to her other companion and walked forward, “Come on, old man.”

“Watch it, Pip.”

“That might have worked when I was your boot,” Spectre countered. She turned and gave a grin at her old TO. “Now…” She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders before turning to lead the way into the building. She waited until they were in to say, “So… you thought about what you’re going to do and say when you see him?”

“I was thinking of going with it.”

“That’s more me. Seems you learned a lot.” Spectre gave a mischievous grin especially when she got the halfhearted scowl in return. She chuckled and wrapped her arm around her former TO’s arm. “It’s not going to be a walk in the park. Woods thought you were dead for the better part of three decades and all because of the deal you made. I can’t imagine what its going to be like when David finds out.”

“No more than what your Torres found out. I still can’t believe you sent that to her.”

“I had to. I found it early on and did my deep dives. Then I found her and tapped her.” Spectre paused and looked at her companion. She sighed, “I learned the hard way about not having contingency. My choices… they were made more for her than me and my work. I just… couldn’t put complete faith in that kind of bond. I just hope that…”

“You’re not your father.”

Spectre looked at her old training officer and nodded. She then turned and led the way into the Vault. She felt him gently pat her arm in reassurance. She could be strong now that Menendez was no longer a threat. Things could be set on the path to making things right and she could go home and cuddle with her children and husband in relief until the next crisis came along.

They entered the Vault and she showed her credentials. She smirked slightly at her companion’s grunt of surprise at her ease of access. She knew the way well since she had visited enough. She nodded at the guard, “Spectre and Alex Mason to see Sgt. Woods,” and held up her credentials.

The guard checked it out and nodded, “You can go in. Nice to see you again Spectre.”

“Likewise.”

By then Alex was already at the door knocking to be let in. He smirked when he heard his old friend bellow, “Do not enter.”

Alex glanced at Spectre and she nodded. He knew she would be amused by the whole thing. He opened the door and caught sight of his old friend in a wheelchair and looking out the window. He heard the grunt of his friend being pissed off and waited.

Woods was not in the mood for visitors. He made that clear when he bellowed at the door telling them not to enter. When he heard the door open, he growled, ready to cuss them out, thinking it was one of the nurses bugging the hell out of him. He groused, “I swear to God, I will shove this wheelchair right up your…”

“Ass.” Alex stood there looking at his friend, feeling very amused at the whole thing. He took in the look on Woods’ face, like he had seen a ghost, and decided to run with it. “Hey Woods, you look like hammered shit.”

Woods couldn’t believe what he was seeing. It looked like his old friend, but it couldn’t be. Alex Mason was dead. It had to be his being old. He was delusional. He held his hand up in warning, “You stay right there.”

Alex stood there and watched as Woods wheeled himself forward and give a good thump to his chest. It was enough to feel it even though they were both old men. He rubbed his chest in response. His lips twitched slightly since he was well aware that Spectre was going to milk this for what it was worth, which was why she hadn’t come forward yet.

“Mason,” Woods stammered, “I shot you.”

Alex grinned as he slowly took a seat on the bed. He was getting on in years and maybe he was getting too old for this shit, but… He looked at his old friend and replied, “Turns out you’re a lousy shot.” He absently rubbed his leg, remembering where he had been hit.

He had time to think about how lucky he had been that Woods didn’t take the headshot. He knew Woods had it in for Menendez and he would stop at nothing when it came to the man. It was his dumb luck that he had been captured and made to be the target. He was even luckier that the damage wasn’t permanent in the sense that he could still walk. And it was all because of one person.

_I have saved your life. Now you will help me save another._

“My ass,” Woods countered still eyeing Alex warily. He adjusted his chair to give him a better look and to react just in case. “Where the fuck you been for thirty years?”

“I think I might be able to help in that,” Spectre finally entered from where she had been hiding in the doorway.

Woods growled, much to Alex’s amusement, and readjusted his chair. He groused, “Spectre, I should have known that you were going to pull this shit.”

Spectre entered with a look that said she wasn’t going to tolerate shenanigans from growling old men. She smirked at Woods and countered smoothly, “Oh I have much more elaborate schemes than this, old man.”

“Yeah and it involves that fucking mysterious shit.”

“Works.”

Alex chuckled at the back and forth. He didn’t realize that his old trainee had developed a rapport similar to his own with Woods. It made sense considering how hard he had been on her when he was training her. He waved his hand and said, “Don’t blame it on Pip, Woods.”

“Pip?” Woods raised his brow a little confused.

Spectre looked at the two older men. She was glad that this was finally happening. She could only imagine how it was for Alex. She had known him as Alan when he was her trainer. Then when she started investigating… She started calling him Al as a compromise between the two. She answered, “A name he gave me when he trained me at the farm.”

Woods blinked as he processed what had just been told to him and he looked at Alex, “You trained this pain in my ass?”

“Love you too, Woods.”

Alex chuckled and nodded, “Pip… was a favor.” He sobered as he became thoughtful about what to say. The question did come down to how did you tell your best friend that you had to be dark for thirty plus years, missing out on your son’s life, in order to make sure that he was safe while making sure another was safe by teaching them the skills he had been taught and picked up working for Hudson and the fucking numbers thing. So, how did you explain all of that to someone who bore the guilt for your ‘death’?

“A favor?”

Alex looked at Woods. Sighing, he explained, “It was part of an agreement I made to the one that… saved my life.” He gestured at Spectre and added, “Her father.”

“Her father?” Woods frowned at the response.

“My dad,” Spectre explained, “Was Spectre before me.”

Woods looked at Alex and Spectre like they were both insane. “I thought you were…”

“Spectre is just a title, Woods,” Alex explained. “Believe me, I know it was strange shit at first.”

Woods groused at that. He eyed Spectre with a raised brow and asked, “So your dad saved his ugly ass in Panama?”

“And yours and David’s,” Spectre replied, not bothering to hide it.

Woods blinked at her. He knew that Spectre had been asking him about Alex. He never suspected she had investigated everything. “You mean the guy that pulled me out? That was your dad?”

“No,” Spectre replied in a mischievous tone, “But someone he tapped and that person… he gave us what we had on what led to this.”

“Fucking asshole,” Woods muttered.

Spectre chuckled at that. She could see that it was going better than she thought. She twisted her head slightly when she heard something in her earpiece. She then excused herself, “Well, you two need to fill in a few holes. You do that while I get refreshed. Then maybe I’ll give more details.”

She left before Woods could protest and Alex was laughing. Woods frowned and turned towards Alex as he was laughing and said, “You taught her too many bad habits, asshole.”

“Nah. That’s all Pip.” Alex then cleared his throat and asked, “So… about David…”


	24. Chapter 24

“It’s a nice place but it feels like a prison with the high tech.”

David chuckled at Torres’ comment. He personally thought the same thing and that this was definitely a vault of sorts. He teased a little, “Well it’s meant to lock up all the important secrets.”

Torres snorted at that, “Woods is still a person.” She looked forward and added, “A bank had more warmth.”

“Right you work for the Treasury.”

“And I know how to get into your bank account, Section.” Torres raised her brow in a teasing manner. It was not a complete embellishment, but what David didn’t know wasn’t going to hurt him.

David took a step back and looked at her. He raised his brow and took in the smirk. He thought that maybe she was trying too hard to be her usual self. After all it wasn’t that long ago that she found out the truth. He was well aware of the implications and understood why she was so scared about anyone finding out.

Harper knew, and he said he didn’t give a fuck about that, saying that Torres was one of them and more than proved herself. It didn’t help that he flirted with her and David felt like he was ready to strangle his friend for that. He kept it in check since the him and Torres… not really anything and it wasn’t really the time. In any case, Torres had the team backing her and no doubt Briggs would too and Spectre had clout. She really didn’t need to worry, but he got it.

“But I doubt I will be looking at banks. More likely President Bosworth will ask for me back,” Torres was speaking. She was more saying something for its sake since David had been looking at her like he did when he held her hand.

“Is that what you want?” David went with it as they walked down the familiar halls. “To go back to DC and wherever she goes?”

“I don’t know,” Torres replied as she looked away at nothing in particular. “I mean… I can’t argue with orders, but it is a possibility. But it’s up to Spectre.” She cleared her throat and shrugged her shoulders, trying to will her cheeks to cool.

David mused at that, making a slight noise, “It wouldn’t be too bad. I mean my base is in Virginia.” He glanced at her and added, “You know… so you can drop in and kick our asses.”

Torres chuckled at the smile he offered, but it had her thoughtful. He added the last part like he was trying to correct what he said. He was obviously aware of what he said. That was something that would definitely need thinking on. She went with it and replied, “I know Harper needs his ass kicked on a regular basis. If only so he’s halfway decent in civilized society.”

David chuckled at that. He approached the guard assigned to Woods and gave his name, “David Mason and Simone Torres for Sgt. Woods.”

“Another Mason?”

David frowned at that and shifted to look at the door that led to Woods’ room. He glanced at Torres and noted that she already had her gun out. She leaned forward and said to the guard, “Secure the building.”

David pulled his pistol out and received the nod from Torres that she was ready to go. They stacked up on the door and listened. There were no obvious sounds of danger, but even silence could signify danger. David took point and opened the door and was followed by Torres. She was low and in position to pop shots off that could definitely affect reproduction.

“Hey kid. Hey there sweetheart, come on in,” Woods’ gravelly voice greeted them.

David rolled his eyes as he straightened up since there were no signs of danger. Woods was pretty relaxed in front of him. “Jesus, Frank,” he muttered as he put his sidearm away.

“Now that is shitty, Woods,” Torres said as she holstered her weapon. She had an amused expression on her face since she wasn’t completely upset with Woods. Not his fault. They were just taking precautions. She added, “Then again it’s expected of you.”

Woods grinned at her. He took in her appearance and teased, “I guess I get to tell you that you look like hammered shit.”

“Well… rolling out of a moving vehicle does that when you get into blocking positions,” Torres replied with a smile and a shrug since her lib was scabbed and she had some scrapes on her face in addition to her broken finger. She held it up, “Luckily this was what made it walking wounded.”

David coughed trying not to laugh. He swore it was like watching Spectre interact with the old man but Torres was different about it. She still had some hesitancy with swearing whereas Spectre spoke it fluently. And people wondered how it was she got Briggs to stop cussing. An enigma and a quirk that David knew was just a part of his friend’s personality. That and he heard the stories when Spectre first met her husband. Good laughs then too.

“Walking wounded my ass,” Woods countered. “That’s a grave injury. The kid should have had the medics hovering.” He grinned and winked at Torres.

“And that would result in an ass kicking,” Torres countered with a smirk. She stepped forward, “So are you gonna tell us why we busted in here and you’re laughing your ass off?”

Woods chuckled at her. He liked her in that she could deal sass, but she was nowhere near Spectre when it came to her language. She was still proper, liked she belonged behind a desk. The accent wasn’t too bad either. He adjusted his chair, “I wanna introduce you to somebody.” He gestured at his friend, “Al, this is Dave and Torres. Dave…”

Torres became aware of the other presence in the room. She turned to look at him and blinked. She watched as David just greeted him like he was one of Woods’ old drinking or army buddies. She put a hand to her mouth and tried hard not to laugh. This was just taking things to a whole other level. At the same time as Woods, she said chuckling, “That’s your dad.”

David had relaxed once he saw that Woods was okay and was willing to rectify it by meeting his friend. He assumed it was one of his friends from the army or something. He greeted him and frowned slightly when he heard Torres make a sound that sounded like she was choking on her laughter. He glanced at her to find her trying hard not to laugh and failing and Woods was grinning big until they both said, “That’s your dad.”

David looked at the man that was sitting. He blinked as the man stood up and managed to choke out, “Dad?”

Torres could tell David was thinking hard about how it was possible. Even she was wondering how it was possible since she knew that Alex Mason was written as KIA in Panama. She glanced over and saw that Spectre was hiding in the doorway, watching everything. It then occurred to her that Spectre knew all along that Alex Mason was alive and like every choice made, there were reasons. She also remembered how understanding David had been the last time they had been here, learning that it was Woods that took the shot.

“What the fuck?”

Torres turned to look when she heard David utter the only thing he could do. Woods growled, “Ahh, you’re a couple of broads. Work this shit out on your own,” before he started wheeling towards the door. He then said, “Come on pain in my ass I need some smokes and don’t you start that shit about it being bad for me.”

“Who’s the fucking broad now? More like a fucking drama queen.”

Torres wanted to laugh and her lip twitched as her mentor and Woods took off to the nurses’ station. She fell in with crazies but it seemed to work. She glanced at Alex and then David. It was probably best that they had some alone time. She made a slight gesture saying, “And I’m going to make sure that they don’t get into trouble.”

It was a poor excuse but it was something. Torres started to move to leave when she felt a hand grasp on her wrist. She stopped and turned to see that David was still looking at his father but holding onto her wrist. She didn’t struggle but stood there, not sure why David wanted her there. As far as she could tell, it was something they had to work out. She didn’t say anything but relaxed as a signal to David that she wasn’t going to leave and he released her.

“You still got that scar,” Alex queried after quietly observing the interaction.

Torres prayed that he wasn’t one to make more out of it than what it was. She wasn’t even sure what that meant. She liked David a lot, yes, but that didn’t mean anything more. She just hoped that it would be civil and then it dawned on her that it was probably why David wanted her to stay. Two men that were obviously pigheaded and opinionated at times would clash and it could turn nasty, but she got the feeling that they wouldn’t in front of certain company. She would go with that, but that sounded a little weak since she had seen David have more self-control than that. She just stood there quietly.

David was well aware that he put Torres on the spot. He knew she was leaving to give him time alone with his dad. He was willing to let her go and yet it was automatic for him to reach out and grab her by the wrist. He wasn’t willing to examine his feelings at the moment since he was getting another bombshell dropped on him within a span of days. First Torres being Menendez’ goddaughter, which didn’t make a fucking difference to him and now this. The only thing that was ‘safe’ at the moment was that Torres was a constant and would keep things civil. Piss poor of an excuse but…

Looking at his father as he processed the question, he looked at his hand. He remembered the day that he got it. It was the day that Hudson came and his dad went right back into the shit. But it was to help Woods. It made the bitter pill easier to swallow, but David remembered being angry because it was a broken promise. He nodded as he stared at the scar.

“You made me proud that day.”

David looked up and looked at his father. He noted the weathered lines from time and experiences. He frowned slightly, “But I fell.”

“Yeah… but you got back up.”

****

“So you’re my boot’s boot.”

Torres shifted to glance at the old man that sidled up next to her. It had been too exciting of a day and she had way too much of Spectre and Woods basically trash talking and saying things that she would never dream of saying. After the initial shock and awe of revealing Alex Mason alive and well and the story being told how he had been recruited by Spectre and that he trained the current one… She was glad that Woods decided to have fun and called for beer. Not that that it was allowed but still…

She found herself alone and thought it was best since David had a million and one questions for his father and Spectre. She wandered off to think her own thoughts. She slouched on the bench that she had her last ‘interview’ with Woods and held her beer in a lazy manner. She was surprised they were able to get away with that. She suspected that Spectre and Woods bullied the nurses, particularly the one Woods called Nurse Batshit. She shook her head at that one.

Alex seemed to have found her. For what… she could only guess and she wasn’t rude either. She looked at the old man and replied, “She’s my mentor.”

“Boot.”

Torres chuckled at that, “And she was yours. I still can’t wrap my head around that one.” She took a sip of her beer and looked at Alex.

“A favor. Life for a life.” Alex hummed a bit before adding, “Jensen knew the dangers and did what he could when he couldn’t do it himself. It was an opportunity. I didn’t see it as that.”

“And explains why you and Spectre are close friends. When did she figure it out that you as a training officer and you as Alex Mason were one and the same?” Torres raised her brow at Alex.

“Once she started digging for David. What I taught him, I taught her.” Alex shrugged at that and leaned against the bench. He looked up at the sky, looking at the stars.

Torres nodded in agreement. Made sense. “Did you know she found out about my family? Wouldn’t be good at her job if she couldn’t.”

“I know that she found out what her own father did. He tapped yours and things went from there. Your father got Woods and David out that night.” Alex looked at Torres.

Torres looked at the old man. She blinked, trying to figure out where this was going. She worried her lower lip as she thought about what to say next. Taking a sip of her beer, she held the bottle in her hands, running her finger along the rim. “And I’m guessing you too.”

“No. Well, maybe patched me up, but after that…” Alex gave a slight toss of his head. He looked at Torres and added, “Don’t blame Pip for how you found out. To be honest, I was against it. She said it was right. Righting wrongs and laying ghosts to rest for all involved.” He shook his head and looked downward at the ground. “She got involved because she knows her shit with that technology. She got involved because of David and being a good friend, she kept at it. Put her in crosshairs. Menendez never knew Spectre was her, but…”

“I know,” Torres replied, looking at her lap. “The only thing that kept her ahead was making the world think she wasn’t Spectre. In fact, other assets are called Spectre when they meet with officials. Dread Pirate Roberts, she said.”

Alex chuckled at that. “That and knowing how to make the truth seem like a lie.” He took a breath and sighed, “I hope you don’t hold it against her.”

Torres shook her head, “I don’t. I get it and… it does explain a few things. Just…”

“It may put a target on your back, but I know Pip won’t let that happen,” Alex replied. He shifted to look at Torres in the eye and added, “The only copy that exists is what she gave you.”

Torres realized the weight of the words Alex said. It was peculiar that Alex was telling her and not Spectre, but then she understood how the woman would think that she didn’t want to talk to her. It wasn’t that. It was just not knowing what to say. Now she knew she could talk to her and they could still work together. It hit hard that Spectre was willing to bury it, something that could produce a scandal, to protect her. She replied, “That’s Spectre.”

“Trying to fix things. Always did.” Alex grunted and gave a grin. He looked at Torres, finally saying what needed to be said. “Now what are you going to do?”

Torres looked at Alex. She raised her brow, figuring he was asking about her and his son. Woods pretty much implied it by saying she was a keeper. Spectre gave that grin of hers that was annoying to the point of madness. Harper flirted with her and always when David was nearby. She grinned and shook her head slightly, “No idea. I mean more likely head back to DC and President Bosworth will beg to have me on security detail.”

“No plans with Spectre?”

“Like I said, no idea.” Torres leaned forward and rested her forearms on her knees. “I enjoyed working with JSOC and if Spectre needs me to, I’d do it again. There’s always someone or something out there. But I wouldn’t mind paying a visit every now and then. I like Woods.”

Alex laughed at that. “I like you Torres. You have a sense of humor.”

“Oh I was serious about liking Woods. Maybe he could help me improve my vocabulary.”

“Fuck no,” Alex rumbled, “He already corrupted Pip. Not you.” He laughed with her and sobered, taking a breath. He sighed and continued, “Would you mind extending that to me?”

“Like I said, I don’t mind paying a visit every now and then,” Torres repeated herself. She smiled at Alex and hummed a bit. “Nice to have friends.”

“Not wrong there.”

_Three Weeks Later_

“Remind me why I am doing this shit?”

David chuckled and shook his head at Harper’s question. He replied, “Because you have nothing fucking better to do.” He paused to take in the grousing his friend was doing and added, “And it is mandatory PT and I’m not getting in trouble with Doc on that one.”

Harper growled a little but it was in good spirits. It was an annoyance but necessary since he did have his leg looking like a kebab with rebar through it. David had it easier since he was shot twice. One was a graze and the other he fished out himself. But they were both ‘in trouble’ and on restrictive duty despite the fact that the world kept turning and trouble seemed to be going on everywhere.

Today was just another workout and they were lucky that they weren’t in the medical facilities PT room. David had managed to sweet talk Doc into letting go to the regular gym with the promise that he would make Harper behave. A compromise, but it kept them busy and Harper was starting to regret it since David took his promise seriously.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that David was pining after Torres. Harper noticed it right away in the manner David threw himself into PT/recovery. He worked long and hard like he was beating his frustration out. Harper took advantage of it and was the punching bag so to speak. Crosby wisely said nothing and pretended it didn’t happen.

It was a low blow when Torres left to head back to DC with Spectre. The team felt the loss. Bonds formed under fire didn’t go away that easily. Harper saw her as one of them despite the fact that she was a government agent used to doing things a certain way. She was tough and didn’t let it stop her. The things that impressed his friend and now he was smitten with her.

It was the nature of the job. Spectre ran the show with her assets and Torres was one of them. At least she said her goodbyes. Actually, it was more like ‘see you later’ and it gave Harper reason to think that she might find a moment to drop by and say hello. David didn’t see it that way or if he did, it just made him miserable. He did try though to not let it be a pain to everyone else.

There were other things going on and Harper decided to be a bit of a distraction and asked, “So how’s it going with your old man?”

David glanced at his friend, pulled from his musings and blinked. It took him a moment to process the question before he answered, “Things are okay. Still working shit out. The girls are ecstatic.”

“That’s good. Nothing more important than family, right?” Harper gave a friendly pat to David’s shoulder, forcing a grin to appear.

David chuckled and nodded, “Right.” He cleared his throat and looked ahead and added, “At least it will drive the housekeeper crazy.”

“Now that is cruel. Then again she’s a crazy ole bat.”

It was meant to lighten the mood but even Harper could sense that it was forced. It was going to be one of those days with David. He might as well take it by the horns and go with it. It might earn him an ass kicking but it would help. Taking a breath, he asked, “Hey, man. You hear from Sombra?”

David stiffened a little at the mention of the call sign Harper gave her. He really didn’t want to think about it, the day she left. It just made him mad. Mad at himself. He couldn’t take that out on his friend but his response came out a little terse anyway, “No. Nothing.”

Harper didn’t miss the reaction. Now it was time to push. “Huh. Never thought her to be like that. Maybe she’s busy.”

“Maybe,” David gritted out, hoping his tone was a warning that he wasn’t in the mood.

“Look, Section…”

“Harper, don’t. Not today.”

“Hey man, I’m not blind. An ass and an idiot, but not blind.”

David sighed and turned to face Harper. He had tried walking away to give the hint that he didn’t want to talk about it, but it seemed his friend wasn’t taking the hint. He retorted, “Yeah you are an idiot.”

“And I know you like her. Hell, I’m willing to bet she likes you.” Harper paused as he watched David’s reaction. The man was definitely going to be in a foul mood the rest of the day but at least they would get things off the chest. “Why don’t you just call her? Or call Spectre?”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“Calling bullshit on that.” Harper walked past his friend. He paused and said, “And you didn’t scare her away.” He continued walking to the gym. He only stopped when David told him to wait. “So?”

David sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He finally said, “I… was going to ask her out but she left before I could. I’m… mad at myself.”

“Then call her. We’re on the same coast you know.”

David would have said something but a noise distracted him. It was actually other SEALs shouting at each other to drop what they were doing and to take a look. He frowned as Harper turned to see what the commotion was about. From the sound of things, a fight was going on. More like a sparring match that turned into a fight.

It had David roll his eyes as he started walking over. In addition to being ready to kick Harper’s ass now he had to be the one in charge and break it up. He and Harper followed the source to the outdoor sparring ring where a group of men were shouting and cheering and probably placing bets. This was a really doozy and it had David roll his eyes as he prepared to break it up. It didn’t help that Harper was getting excited about the whole thing.

“Come on, Jones!”

“Nah he’s whipped.”

David was trying to push his way through when he saw a pair of booted feet fly through the air and paused. Jones was a big guy. It would take a lot to get him to fly head over heels like that. It now had him more curious than ever and he tried to push his way through. His voice was being drowned out by the men as he made his way through.

“It’s over, Jones.”

There were groans of disappoint, hoots of approval… it was enough to have David wonder what the hell was going on. He was trying to push his way through the last few bodies when he saw Jones stand up with a murderous look on his face as he pulled a knife out. Fucking great.

“Look out!”

There was a sharp crack and yelp of pain while the knife clattered to the ground. The group was quiet and it allowed David to finally push through just as a familiar voice said, “Cowardly way to fight, Jones.”

David blinked as he saw Torres standing there, coiling up what appeared to be… was that a fucking bullwhip? Finding his voice, he managed to bellow out, “Alright, break it up.” He kept his gaze on Torres as she eyed him back while coiling up her whip.

“Hot damn, Sombra. Good to see you,” Harper said as he approached her.

David watched as Torres smiled at Harper and greeted him. He took a couple of steps forward trying to ascertain if what he was seeing was real. Harper watched what was going on and decided to make himself scarce, saying, “Well I gotta get going. Doc will kill me if I don’t stick to the regimen,” and gestured at his leg.

He was gone before anyone could say anything leaving David and Torres there. Torres didn’t move but stood there, holding her jacket in hand as she said, “Hello, David.”

“Hi… Simone,” David replied. He took a couple of steps forward until he was close enough to speak without being overheard. “So… you’re here.”

“Yeah,” Torres replied with a nod.

“Why?”

It was probably the dumbest thing to say but David wanted answers and he wanted to know if it was business or… something else. He just asked it bluntly and in a roundabout way. He swallowed slightly when he saw her reaction to the question.

Torres chewed her lower lip before replying, “The world is still turning, David. Work needs to be done. Spectre has everyone busy.” She paused and ran her tongue on her teeth before adding, “And I asked to be sent here.”

David looked at her. It was not an exact answer but there was more to it. More shit to work out. He nodded, “Working with command?”

“No,” Torres replied shaking her head. “With a team I have experience with. One that Spectre trusts above all else. Easier to work shit out.”

David knew what she was saying and nodded. “I’d like that,” he countered. He grinned slightly, “Can’t work without my shadow saving my stupid ass.”

Torres grinned at that, “Oh I think there will be plenty of that.”

_This video is triggered to play upon my assassination. Cordis Die, you know how to proceed. My death will shine light upon ubiquitous darkness…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this journey. I do have continuing missions with Torres and Section in mind. Stay tuned. Reviews and kudos are love for the writing soul.


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